Between the Lines
by Christiana G Jennings
Summary: This is a story about the unsung characters of classic fairytales and their journey through each story. It's a 'what really happened'; the story behind the story. Read, and I hope you enjoy it.
1. Chapter 1

**Between the lines**

**Chapter One**

I peered through the undergrowth, my grey eyes narrowed. _Tha-thump. Tha-thump. _The drumming sounds of hoof beats on the dirt road made me tense.

My name is Marley Elizabeth Frost. I'm now sixteen years old, but that fateful day I was only twelve. Believe what you will, but fairytales all have a sliver of truth. I would know; I walk between the lines that scroll across storybooks, ducking in and out of adventure after adventure. I have been inside almost every folktale or love story you have ever heard. This is how I know they're real. I'm a part of them, somewhere in the grey haze that makes up the background. The person who's shadow is cast for no more than a moment along the palace wall as she passes the room where Princess Rose is leaning over the spindle of a spinning wheel, her finger hovering above the sharp point.

On that fateful day, I brushed a strand of dark hair out of my face and snatched up the bow that rested against my bent knee. Pulling on my mask and stepping out from behind my hiding place, I moved out onto the road. I nocked and arrow and pulled back on the string. The carriage that approached was an ominous black, deep purple outlining the edges with a color so rich, that even in the dark it was entrancing. The carriage rushed towards me, its horses screeching at my sudden appearance. The first reared back, causing the entire carriage to spin to one side and stop. I quickly approached, my arrow aimed at the driver.

He gripped the horses' reins and looked at me nervously. "Please don't hurt me."

I rolled my eyes and let my arrow fly. It caught the man's sleeve at the shoulder, pinning him to the carriage. Apparently, he didn't notice the fact that I was a whole head shorter than he was.

Moving to the door of the carriage and throwing it open, I placed another arrow on the string of my bow. There was a single man inside the carriage, a midget really. His thin, brown hair matched his short beard and thick eyebrows, but he was unnervingly calm for someone who was about to be robbed.

"Any gold in here," I said gruffly, tossing him a burlap sack. "No funny busy and no silver, and no one gets hurt."

The little man's lips turned up in a wicked smile. "Of course."

I watched carefully as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small handful of straw.

"What is this?" I demanded. "I want gold, fool!"

Holding up a finger, the man's mouth formed an 'O' shape. Then, his smile returned and he closed his fingers over his palm one at a time. He turned his hand upside down over the sack and glanced up at me. I swallowed. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. Highwaymen were not supposed to be _teased_. I had only been robbing the road for about a month, but I was already making a name for myself. The Masked Archer. How did this man not know who I was?

Then, just when I thought I was ready to put an arrow through him, the little man opened his hand. Gold coins spilled from his palm and into the sack until it was half-filled. Amazed, my mouth dropped open slightly.

"Who are you?" I breathed, snatching the sack away and tucking it into my cloak.

The little man threw back his head and laughed. "Wouldn't you like to know! The miller's daughter sent you, did she? Well now that's not very fair, is it?" He laughed again and pulled the door shut before I could make a move towards him. "That girl only has one more day to guess, but I like you," the man called out the window. "Three years until you're debt is to be repaid, young Marley."

I stepped away from the carriage as the driver whipped the reins. Puzzled, I waited on the roadside until the plumes of dust the horses kicked up faded away. When they did, the carriage was gone.

Three years later, I sat on a barrel outside the Forge Hut hugging my knees. Gale Woodems was seated on the ground below me, leaning back against the barrel.

"You going on another _midnight walk _tonight?" Gale looked up at me with his dark blue eyes and gave me a crooked grin.

"Hush up, Gale," I prodded the back of his head with my foot.

Mr. Woodems stepped out of the hut, wiping the back of one hand across his forehead to clear some of the sweat. His muscles bulged and I couldn't help but wonder if the story Gale had told me about him being a half-giant was true. But he had to be large; as a blacksmith it was a job requirement. As Mr. Woodems brought his hand down from his face, he somehow managed to catch the only smudge with his finger and turn it into a smear that ran down from his ear to his jaw.

"Hullo, Marley," he patted me on the shoulder with a hand the size of my head. "Looking forward to the King and Queens three-year marriage celebration tomorrow?"

I smiled. "As always, Mr. Woodems. Can Gale help me with something for a minute before his break it over?" I decided not to mention the reason _why_ I was so looking forward to it; the nobles would have more gold than usual for a certain thief to steal.

The large man chuckled and gave me a wink. "Why 'uh course he can, girl!"

"Great," I hopped off the barrel and grabbed Gale by the wrist. "Come on, Gale."

As I towed him away from the forges, he frowned. "Those looks people give us are getting rather annoying."

I laughed, shook my head, and pulled him off to the side of the road. Releasing his hand, we walked side by side down a small, dirt path that led between the nice shops and houses. As we moved away from the center of the village, the buildings became shabbier and so did the villagers who were roaming the streets. I didn't live on the outside of town, I lived _outside of town_. An old woman with a walking stick mumbled something as she bumped into me. I touched her shoulder lightly and apologized for running into her, using it as a distraction as Gale discreetly took back the pin she'd stolen from my cloak.

Parting with the woman, we cut across a back alleyway, narrowly avoiding a steaming mug of beer that broke through the window of a tavern and crashed to the ground at my feet. I picked it up as it started to roll away, alcohol still sloshing from its rim. Gale glanced sideways at me and I shrugged, taking a small sip of the remaining beer. It wasn't half-bad, so I wasn't sure why the man had thrown the mug in the first place.

"Gale, enough talk of _midnight walks_," I said as we reached the last, rundown house of the village and strode onto the main road, "you can't just go announcing my job to the world."

The boy smirked at me, running a hand through his short, blond hair.

"I wouldn't call it that, per say."

As we walked, the countryside stretched out before us in rolling fields of green. The crop was almost ready for harvest. A few mud-brick houses poked up from the plains and we turned right off the main road, heading towards the smallest of the farms.

I rolled my eyes at him. "It's not like I'm killing anyone. Well, that was that one couple with the baby…"

His eyes widened and the corner of my mouth tugged up into a smile.

"Look," I stopped walking and turned to face him. "I know this sudden obsession in the last few days is because you want to come with me, but you can't."

"And who is there to stop me?" Gale challenged, drawing up to his full height so that he towered a half a head over me.

As well trained as I was with a bow and arrow, we both knew that he could best me in a fight. After all, what friend doesn't know their best friend's weakest point? No, I'm not telling you where it is.

With a sigh, I took a step back. "All right, you can come."

Gale's face brightened.

"But only tonight!" I added quickly.

The boy's head was already swelling. "I'll need a mask, and I already know what I'm going to do."

"Fantastic," I mused.

A familiar look crossed over Gale's face and I backed away, my hands held in front of me. "Don't you dare–"

He rushed forward and grabbed me around the shoulders, poking at the soft area just beneath my arm. I screamed and wriggled in his arms, a tingling sensation spreading over my body. All right, that's my weak spot. Gale would call it my ticklish-cinch-in-the-armor.

"Let go!" I squealed, slipping away from him.

Gale grinned and bolted towards my hut. Somehow, we'd managed to fight our way to the edge of my father's land. I raced after him, my long legs covering ground faster than his. Leaping into the air, I landed on his back. We went down in a heap just outside the front door. Dust flew in the air as the two of us rolled and struggled against the other, laughing. Gale found my weak spot again and pressed, harder this time. My back arched and I gasped for breath between giggles.

Then the door swung open and a foot thumped me in the back of the head. I tipped my head back, the laughter sliding back down my throat as I stared into the upside down face of my father.

His thick eyebrows lowered over his dark eyes and Gale quickly climbed off of me. He held out his hand and I allowed the boy to pull me to my feet. I brushed off my twisted cloak as Gale coughed nervously beside me. Father looked from one of us to the other. Being the respectful weasel that he is, Gale averted his eyes to the ground. I stared my father straight in the face.

"You're a useless wench," Father spat, bringing up a hand and striking it across my face.

My eyes burned, but I would not cry. Not in front of Gale, not in front of anyone. Beside me, Gale stiffened and I imagined him stepping in front of me and strangling Father in the doorway. I could tell he wanted to, but he didn't move.

"And where have you been all day?" my father demanded, grabbing a handful of my tunic and dragging me into the house. "The sun is almost set and there's no supper on the table."

I cast a tightlipped smile over my shoulder at Gale as the door slammed closed behind me. There was no hope for me now. Gale was gone.

Father threw me at the crackling fireplace. A pot already hung from the hook and I could hear the boiling water that would soon be stew. My heart sinking, I went to the small cabinet and pulled out some dried strips of meat. I dumped them into the pot and began to stir with only one thing to keep me going: the thought of my bow in hand and a mask pulled over my face.


	2. Chapter 2

** Chapter Two **

That night, I decided that my time in the village was up. I would take what I could from the passers by on the road, and then disappear. Quietly, I moved around the sleeping form of my father, passed out on the kitchen table with a bottle in one hand. When I reached the fireplace, I pulled my dagger from my belt and slipped the edge into a crack in one of the bricks. Gently wiggling the dagger, I eased the brick away from the wall. The coals from the fire glowed softly, glinting off the treasures that rested inside the hole I had created. I allowed the bag on my shoulder to slide to the ground, then I quickly filled it with my _midnight walk's _earnings. I spent none of them on my father. Actually, I spent very little of them in general. Gold was my vice, and besides, Father deserved none of it.

A small movement from the window caught my eye and I froze. When the flickering thing did not leave, I slowly turned to face the window. I nearly screamed. Beyond the cracked glass, a hideous face was eliminated by the single candle its hand held. A long, pointed nose curved from its face, and dark eyes squinted at me. Then, a second hand pulled the face away. Gale stood outside the window, holding up his mask and grinning.

I frowned at him, and then hefted my bag onto my shoulder. Finally, I reached into the hole one last time and withdrew my own mask. It was made from hawk's feathers, a few of which sprung up the sides of my head to form velvety horns. I also held my mother's old cloak; something I'd been saving for the day she returned. But after years of waiting, I knew she never would. I spun the blood red cloak until it settled on my shoulders and, taking one last look at Father's dark outline, snatched my bow and quiver from the wall before slipping out into the night.

"Are you trying to kill me?" I hissed at Gale as he tugged his mask back over his face.

He tipped his head to one side and blew out his candle. "I think my mask is rather adorable. What's in the bag?"

"Things," I told him bitterly.

Scratching the metal beak that was sprouting from his face, Gale held out a hand. "Would you like me to carry it?"

I pulled away from him, my heart leaping into my throat. "No!"

"All right, calm down," he stared at me, seeing the wild light in my eyes. "It's not like you'll die without it."

On the contrary. At the time, I really thought I would die, but taking deep breaths, I handed him my bag of gold. He nodded once, then swung it onto his shoulder with a grunt.

"What is _in _this?"

I shook my head and we began to walk again, keeping to the deepest of shadows as we made our way down the main road. We stopped where it branched off in several directions. My gaze followed the road heading directly east and I swallowed. Once Gale was gone, I would take that road to the city of Langly.

"Over there," I pointed to the woods that grew in the stretch between the eastern road and the southeastern road.

The boy looked at me. "Really? It seems a bit…dark."

"Yes, really," I said, grabbing his arm and pulling him into the undergrowth.

Gale dropped into the grass and I crouched, peering through the tangle of leaves. As I did so, I removed my bow and one arrow, laying them together at Gale's feet. He eyes them anxiously and glanced up at me. Even though I wasn't facing him, I knew he was watching. I could feel his gaze burning into my back.

"You're leaving, aren't you?"

My muscles tensed. "Shut up, Gale. We're not supposed to warn the people we're robbing."

He leaned forward, his hands between his knees. "You are! Marley, you can't leave me. Is this because of your father? I've told you before that you can stay with us."

_Can't leave me_. I played those words over in my mind. How _could_ I leave Gale? He was my best friend.

"I can't, Gale," I whispered, almost missing the sounds of far away hoof beats. _Tha-thump. Tha-thump._ "I'm sorry."

Shaking his head, Gale shifted until he was beside me. "You need to stop trying to fend for yourself. Let someone take care of you, Marley."

Then, the carriage was in my field of vision and the conversation halted. I grabbed my bow and arrow, trusting that Gale would guard my treasures. As I stepped out onto the road, I pulled my hood over my head and raised my bow. The carriage stopped a yard away from me, as if unaware of my deadly arrows pointed towards it. A feeling of a thousand spiders crawling up my spine made me shiver. I'd seen this carriage before. It was slick and black, the moonlight showing the purple that colored the edges and roof. Dumbfound, I lowed my weapon.

"Marley," Gale murmured from the brush. "Marley!"

In front of me, the carriage door swung open. Still, I didn't move.

"Marley!"

His voice grew louder as he moved away from our hiding place, my bag on his shoulder. I didn't turn to look.

The owner of the carriage hopped out, his boots thudding softly as they hit the ground. He walked towards me and I had to look down to meet his gaze. I shivered. The small man smiled, but the gesture could barely be seen through his thick, brown beard. It had certainly grown since the last time I had seen the man.

"Hello, there," he said cheerfully, making him seem all the more creepy. "I've come to collect your debt."

Gale ran to my side and took my hand. "Let's go. This is bad."

I shook him off, his touch snapping me back to reality. "I know you. You were the man who turned straw into gold."

"I'm glad you remember," the little man smiled. "This must mean that you also remember I gave you the gold for a price."

"Get away from her!" Gale warned, stepping in front of me and taking my bow. He drew it and released the arrow.

It sailed through the air, towards the man's heart. But as it touched his skin, the arrow bounced off harmlessly. All it left was a small tear in his tunic. The man laughed and continued forward.

"I'm afraid I'm untouchable until the debt is repaid," he sighed. "A shame, isn't it? Now are you ready to settle our agreement in a more civilized manner?"

By now, I was hyperventilating. However, I did remember and I had taken his gold. The deal was solid, and my part was not yet fulfilled. My mind raced. There could be a chance…

"Gale," I said slowly, "give me my bag."

He tossed it to me, not willing to take his eyes off the little man before us. I opened the bag and fumbled through it, praying the coins would be there. Then, I found one. Relief washing over me, I scooped up a few more and walked around Gale to the man. His thick eyebrows were raised curiously at me.

"Here's your gold back," I told him. "Now leave us be."

Narrowing his eyes, the man took a coin from my palm and held it up to the moonlight. Then he glared at me, clutching the gold piece.

"This is not my gold!" he bellowed. Such a strong voice for little lungs. "You must repay the debt. I know this is not my gold, for I always know where it is. Yours, I'm afraid, are halfway out of the kingdom by now. _THIS IS NOT MY GOLD_!"

I snatched my hand away from the purple-faced midget protectively. "All right, it's not yours. I must have spent it. What do you purpose I do?"

The little man narrowed his eyes at me. "Tomorrow is the King and Queen's three-year marriage celebration. You know the story of how the Queen came to marry him, I presume?"

"Of course," Gale answered for me. "She was the daughter of a miller who spun straw into gold for the Prince."

"Ha!" the man barked. "I was the one who turned that straw to gold, not that wench. She promised me her first-born child in exchange for my help! I even gave her a chance to save him, but she cheated. And what do I get in return? A necklace and cursed ring!"

I bundled up my treasures and slung the back over my shoulder. "What on earth would you want with a baby?"

"Never you mind!" he screeched, stomping his feet. "That _Queen _cheated me; sent that horrible page to learn my name. She thought I was gone when she sprung that trap that caused the earth to collapse under me, but no!" the man clenched his fist.

My heart crumpled in fear and I backed away until I was beside Gale. He twined his arm around mine and we continued backwards. One. Small. Step. After. The other. The small man seethed, his eyes filling with rage as he let out a high, cackling laugh. The wind picked up, as if fueled by his laughter. It howled, joining with his voice as a whining roar in our ears. I faltered back a step and Gale caught me by the arm. The horses' hoofs beat nervously at the earth and they flung their head from side to side, screaming with their master.

"I have found my loophole at last!" he cried, pointing at me. "You will bring me the child that is mine. Do so and your debt is repaid!"

One last, piercing screech filled the air and then the wind whipped about me, pushing me into Gale. We clung to each other; our eyes squeezed shut. Then…everything stopped.

Cautiously, I opened one eye.

The little man, and his carriage, was gone


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

"Still thinking of running away?" Gale raised his eyebrows at the fact that we were still hugging and I stepped away.

I scoffed. "Of course! This only adds to reasons to leave."

"I don't think you should."

"You didn't think I should before this either!"

Gale sighed and held out my bow. Frowning, I snatched it away and went to where my arrow lay in the dirt. I brushed it off before spinning on my heels to look at my friend. I was ready to shout at him and plunge into one of my occasional fits, but when I saw his face, I hesitated. There was nothing but anxious concern in his blue eyes and my shoulders drooped. I was _so_ looking forward to cursing at him.

"What am I supposed to do, Gale?" I asked. "I can _not _live like this anymore."

Pursing his lips, the corner of Gale's mouth curved upward as he tried to think. "We're not insane, are we? That man really was just right here."

The last sentence was a statement, not a question.

"He's crazy if he thinks I will actually kidnap a _prince_ for a few coins," I snorted. Of course, for gold, there was a lot I would do.

Nodding slowly, Gale followed me to our hiding place. I crouched and picked up my quiver, blinking against the feeling of being so overwhelmed that I wanted to lie down and sleep. The boy beside me took my bag of gold from over my shoulder and clutched it to his chest. Rolling my eyes towards the sky, I tugged my cloak's hood farther down over my mask.

"Gale, what are you doing?"

He set his feet and held the bag over his head. Due to the weight, he was forced to use both hands. "If you want to leave with your gold, you'll have to take it from me."

My eyebrows shot up on my forehead. "Oh. _Really_?"

Usually, that was all it took for him to burst into laughter and drop whatever he was holding. This time, however…this time Gale was serious. The corners of his mouth were turned down and his eyes were defiant.

"You must to joking," I said, my confidence slowly slipping away.

Gale didn't respond, but stared me straight in the eyes. Clenching my fists, I ran at him. He dangled the bag just out of my reach and I leaped for it, my fingers snagging the bottom. However, Gale gained control again with a firm tug upward.

Glancing at the ground, I made one of the rashest decisions of my life. In one fluid motion, my bow came up and an arrow found its way to the string. At the sudden change of power, Gale's stance loosened slightly. I couldn't drop my bow. My brain would not comprehend that it was my friend at the other end of the arrow.

Neither could Gale's. He stared at me, his mouth opened slightly. "Marley…"

My grey eyes blinked slowly and I could feel my fingers lifting from the arrow's shaft. Then, I let out a long breath and whirled towards the trees before my willpower failed and the arrow shot from the string. It hit one of the thick trunks, filling the air with an eerie hum as it trembled with the force of the hit. The bark around the arrow splintered and I swallowed.

Something slammed into my back, throwing me to the ground. My wrist bent awkwardly as it tangled in my bowstring and my quiver went spinning away into the brush. I looked up in surprise, trying to regain my breath.

Gale stood over me, still holding my gold. The bag made a thud as it hit the ground beside me and I flinched, waiting for another blow. I disserved it, but it never came.

"You hit me," I said, still quite stunned.

He shrugged, removing his birdman mask. "You tried to shoot me."

I took his extended hand and he pulled me to my unsteady feet. "Then why are you helping me up?"

"Because you didn't."

Giving him an apologetic smile, I said, "I'm sorry?"

Being the annoying gentleman his is, Gale held my gaze. "I am too. If it's really what you want, I won't stop you from leaving."

I pulled back my hood, tucked my mask into it, and then hugged him. Caught off guard, he stood a little too stiffly in my arms. It wasn't as if we had never hugged before, but it wasn't something that happened often. The gesture was one of the many things that made the villagers think there was something between us. There wasn't, but it was still a bit strange. We didn't get too close unless we were 'fighting', which, somehow, was different. After a moment, Gale wrapped his arms around my shoulders.

When I finally moved away, I stooped and gathered my things. Once all three items were slung securely over one shoulder or the other, I turned back towards the main road.

"Are you coming, Gale?"

He watched me suspiciously. "You're not leaving?"

"I have a prince to kidnap," I told him. "Then I'm leaving."

Hurrying to catch up with me, Gale shook his head. "That's worse than leaving! I think I hit you a bit too hard."

"Probably," I said and linked arms with him as we stepped into the shadows.

"You cannot possible expect this to work," Gale whispered, gesturing towards the plan I had drawn up.

It was not yet light out and I could still hear my father snoring in the kitchen. Gale and I sat on opposite sides of my bedroom door, despite the fact that it was open. The parchment was spread across the threshold and I chewed the end of my charred wood.

"Gale, please just come into my room. This is ridiculous," I told him.

He stared at the single candle that sat beside the parchment. "No. It would be too…"

"Simple?" I finished for him. "Everything is so complicated with you. Now look," I pointed to the plan. "It's really not that impossible. The stage will be here, where it is every year. The Prince will on this side, most likely holding hands with the Queen. I only have to lure him away."

Scowling, Gale glanced at me. "How do you suppose we do that?"

"We?"

"We. Although you already owe me for the time I saved you from being kissed to spit by my grandmother." He gave me a serious look. "This is treason. If we're caught…" the words hung in the air between us.

I smiled. "How hard can it be? The boy is three. Besides, I'm the Masked Archer. I don't get caught."

The next morning, the village was alive with the buzz of the celebration. Colorful lanterns with pixie and fairy shapes cut into each side were strung in front of every shop and hut. Meanwhile, cords of music rose and fell, merrily swelling the air. A platform and podium had been placed in the center of the village where every set of eyes could see it. Gold fabric flowed over the sides of the platform, glinting in the autumn sun. I stood off to one side, my red cloak wrapped around my shoulders. The anticipation of the crowd felt like a wave pushing towards the stage, suffocating me where I stood, towards the front. My eyes slid across the faces of the people until I spotted Gale picking his way towards me. Blue spheres met grey and I quickly looked away, trying not to look as nervous as I felt. When he reached me, he pressed his closed fist against the side of my hand. He held a basket filled with pastries as well as one of my daggers. Without looking down, I used his hand to guide mine to the handle of the basket and took it from him.

A trumpet note blasted above the crowd and a cheer went up. The King and Queen were coming…and so was my prince.

"Will you be all right on your own?" Gale hissed into my ear.

I nodded and made a shooing motion with my free hand. Taking deep breaths, I concentrated on the weight of my Masked Archer mask pulling down on the inside of my hood. The boy melted away into the chaos as a silver carriage bumped along the road towards the podium; the royal coach. I chewed the inside of my lip, my grip tightening on the basket. For years, I had been the Masked Archer, just the average highwayman. Now, I was about to become the worst sense of a legend.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

The royal family took to the stage one at a time, the King in the lead. He stepped onto the golden platform, the Queen trailing behind him by his hand. Toddling behind her was the Prince, clutching his mother's hand with a pudgy fist. His eyes squinted against the bright sunlight like small, twinkling, green stars. The child's mouth was stretched into an ear-to-ear smile that could melt the hardest ice in the dead of winter. I almost smiled myself. Almost.

A small, round man bustled passed the family to the podium and cleared his throat. "Quiet!" he shouted, his voice much louder than I would have thought. "Silence for the King!"

Instantly, the crowd quieted. My gaze fell on the Queen as she joined her husband, moving around the man who scurried off the stage. Her hair shown in the light, a curly mane of gold, and her face reminded me of one of the many angelic statues that stood in the church. Every now and again, her crystal eyes would flit towards her son, who quickly detached himself from her.

I followed the Prince with my eyes only, half-listening as the King announced something to the crowd. There was more cheering as the golden-haired toddler made his way to the side of the stage, where I waited. I slid my dagger from the basket and up my sleeve, the butt digging into my palm. Just in case.

"…and so I once again declare my love for my Queen!" the King raised his bride's hand, beaming at her. His face was round and youthful, unlike the sharp but beautiful features of the Queen.

The Queen waved her hand delicately, smiling and laughing as her husband kissed her knuckles. Yet, her eyes were still on her son. I shifted towards the stage and the villagers moved with me, practically carrying me to where I wished to be.

"Now, if Master Dunn would be so kind as to read our Story," the King gestured for the small man to come forward again.

He did, unrolling a long scroll. "_'On the Nineteenth day of autumn, three years ago, the Prince heard of a maiden who could spin straw into gold. He sought her out, this girl; this miller's daughter…'_"

I stopped listening after that, remembering what the little man with the black carriage had said when we had first met. _The miller's daughter sent you, did she? Well now that's not very fair, is it?_

Swallowing, I slipped up to the very edge of the platform, so that my side brushed against it. That was when I became aware of the guards who were mixed into and surrounding the crowd. There were also two on either side of the stage, tucked away so that the spectators' attention would be focused on the King and Queen. I set my basket gently on the stage and opened it. The smell of fresh pastries rose from the woven container. The Prince stood a few feet away, studying his parents as they held each other. His mother shot him a look and wiggled the fingers of her freehand towards him. He smiled and started to bop back to her side. Then, the mouthwatering smell reached his nostrils and he stopped. The Queen's attention turned back to the celebration.

I bit my lip, waiting as the little boy turned slowly towards the warm, inviting scent. Then, one tiny step at a time, he made his way towards it. He spotted the basket and his emerald eyes lit up. Keeping my gaze fixed on the royal parents, I reached into the basket and held out one of the jelly-filled treats inside. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the Prince making his way to the bait. Satisfied, I tossed it towards him. It landed at his feet and he took the pastry, smacking his lips as he popped it into his mouth. Still without looking, I fished for another lure. This time, I held it close to me, forcing the Prince to lean forward. He took the pastry and an instant later, he was wrapped in my arms, his mouth pressed against my shoulder so he couldn't scream. A shutter ran down my body, my instincts insisting that I hurry. Glancing over the Prince's head, I saw the Queen's eyes searching the stage frantically. She had noticed too soon. Slipping on my mask, I spun and pushed through the crowd.

On the platform, the Queen tugged her husband's ear to her mouth and spoke feverishly into it. His eyes widened and I moved faster. It didn't take ten seconds for the King to spot the little red fish swimming against the current.

"Guards!" his finger pointed accusingly at my back. "The Prince!"

Heads turned frantically at his command and the villagers burst into shout and shrieks.

"The thief is there!"

"Help!"

"It's the Masked Archer!"

"Someone shoot him!"

I winced as a bolt from a crossbow hissed passed my ear. They were actually shooting into the crowd. I lifted my hood over my head and ducked through a group of children who ran to their mothers, screaming.

More bolts sung through the air around me and someone let out a cry of pain. Apparently, the guards needed a bit more practice with their aim; though I did feel sorry for whoever it was who took the blow. When I reached the edge of the mob, I scrambled onto one of the decorated stalls and turned, my cloak whirling around my ankles as I quickly took in the scene before me. Riots were breaking out in the crowd and the King was bellowing orders while a trio of guards ushered the Queen back to her coach. She fought against them, sobbing.

In my arms, the Prince thrashed and wailed, the sound muffled by my cloak. A heavy thud on the wood beneath my feet snapped me back to the immediate problem: the armed guards. Looking from the bolt trembling between my boots to the guard who had shot it, I leaped over the stall and sprinted into a back alleyway. Behind me, boots pounded against the dirt.

A ball and chain slammed into the back of my legs, sweeping them out from under me. I grunted as the heavy spheres on either end of the chain circled my calves, binding them together before I hit the ground. I landed hard on my side, using my arm to cushion the Prince's fall. My dagger flew from my hand and went spinning away. All thoughts of fulfilling my debt left me and I released the little boy. He squirmed away from me, but didn't run. My heart pounded against my ribcage and I pulled desperately at the chain, my eyes flitting from my legs to the single guard who was slowly moving towards me. He drew his sword and began to circle me, as a cat would a mouse.

"Damn it, come on," I breathed, trying to keep my hands from trembling. "Come…on!"

One ball _thunked_ as it flipped over my lap and landed in the dirt, freeing me. The guard charged towards me with a war cry. I spotted my dagger and lunged for it. My fingers closed around the hilt and I thrust it in front of me, catching the guard under his ribs. Our eyes met and my heart froze as I followed the handle of my dagger up to the dark red that blossomed from where the blade should be. The sword clattered to the ground as the man crumpled. A man…I had killed a man.

Never in all of my years of highway robbery had I ever been forced to kill someone. I had delivered trivial injuries to protesters, as any thief would, but I was no murderer.

The whimpers of the Prince made me turn. He looked up at me with round eyes and I scooped him into one, shaky arm. Unable to look at my bloodied dagger, I stood and tossed it away before hurrying down the alley. I circled back to the platform and tore off my cloak and mask. Shoving the mask into the hood, I turned the cloak so that the black lining of the inside was all that was visible. Then I crudely swaddled the Prince and pressed him back into my shoulder.

By now, the mob had broken up into smaller groups. There were a few men still among the crowd, but most had streamed out into the village in search of the Masked Archer and his victim. The majority of those remaining were women and children; I blended perfectly.

"I saw him!" I heard a familiar voice rise above the others. "That way!"

Gale ran at the head of a party of men with everything from soupspoons to bows. I gave him a small wave and he stopped, allowing the others to sprint passed him. He picked his way through the women and children until he was at my side.

"Thank goodness you're safe!" He spoke loudly, pulling me into a distant hug. "We need to move," he hissed.

I nodded, still seeing the guard hanging from the end of my dagger. Shaking my head to clear the image, I jogged beside Gale, his arm around my shoulders. He steered me into his father's shop at the back of the Forge Hut and locked the door. Taking deep breaths, I sat down on a rough, wooden bench and lowered the Prince to my lap. The child had stopped crying, but large, salty tears glistened on his cheeks.

A bitter taste rose in the back of my throat, staring into that angelic face. Gale moved through the shop, calling out to be sure Mr. Woodems was not there.

"We should be all right here for a little while," Gale said, peering out the window as a small trickle of people raced past. "How is he?"

I unbundled the Prince and set him on his feet. "Scared."

"Momma will be angry," he whispered.

Gale raised his eyebrows at me. How could he be so utterly clam? There was none of the fear or anxiety in his face I had seen the night before, but I was shaking like a leaves on the trees. That couldn't possibly be right.

"Hush," I told the boy. "We're on an adventure. We must hide from the bad people, understand?"

He looked puzzled for a moment, but the look quickly faded. "I will save you!" he squealed happily.

"Of course you will," I assured him, "but _quietly._"

The Prince nodded vigorously and bounced away to play with a wooden dummy dressed in chainmail. I exhaled loudly and buried my face in my hands. The bench creaked as Gale lowered himself to sit beside me.

I could feel him watching me. "Are you hurt?"

"No," I muttered.

Gale grabbed one of my hands and pulled it away from my body, staring at it. "There's blood on your hand."

Looking through my fingers, I saw the flecks of red that colored my fingertips. I swallowed. It wasn't my blood, but Gale didn't know that.

"Let me see," he demanded.

I pulled my hand away. "No."

"Marley."

"Gale."

There was a long pause before I finally sat up so he could look me over. Annoying, I stared at the ceiling and stuck out my bottom lip. Gale frowned at me, turning over my other palm.

"Stop pouting, I'm trying to help," he said.

I didn't stop pouting.

Gale prodded me gently to my feet and twirling his finger. Sighing, I spun in a slow circle. This wasn't the first time I'd preformed this routine; I'd been forced to do it by Gale ever since he'd learned about my _midnight walks_. At times, he could be worse than my mother. The sounds of still-searching villagers cause us freeze, but they soon passed.

"Do your legs feel all right?" he asked when I was allowed to sit again.

Remembering the ball and chain, I was suddenly aware of the slight aching in my legs. "I was hit by a ball and chain," I told him. "It will bruise, but I'll be fine."

More silence. Something clanged and we glanced towards the Prince. He had managed to knock over the dummy, as well as a row of knives that had been lined up on a nearby counter. A blade teetered dangerously over the little boy's head and I hurried to the counter. I picked up the collection of knives and pushed them away from the edge before dragging the Prince to the bench to sit at my feet. He frowned at me and I handed him my feathered mask. That seemed to be enough for him.

"That's not your blood, is it?" Gale gestured to my hands.

I shook my head.

"Is he…?"

All I could do was meet my friend's gaze. The blacksmith's son let out a deep breath and ran a hand through his dark blond hair. Nothing more needed to be said. My gaze dropped from his and slid to the Prince who looked up at me through the eyeholes of my mask.

"We should move him," Gale murmured. "They'll find us soon."

I rose to my feet and hoisted the Prince onto my hip. Gale handed me the cloak and I wrapped it around the younger boy so his face was hidden.

"I can stay with him in Father's stable," I suggested. "There haven't been animals inside for years; he never goes there."

Gale smiled reassuringly. "I? I wouldn't leave you alone in this. Don't worry. It certainly can't get any worse."

That night, there was a storm. Gale left his father a note telling him he had to deliver a set of armor to the next village over and would be back in a day or two. He then joined me in the stable for the night. The Prince fell asleep almost instantly, his soft breath rustling the hay that cushioned his golden head. I remained awake, staring into the darkness beyond the edge of the loft and listening to the rain drip through the cracks in the roof.

"I really hate you sometimes," Gale whispered. He lay with his back turned to me and I had thought he was already asleep. "You need to learn to let things go," he continued. "Whoever it was…you didn't have a choice. It was you or him."

Propping myself up on my elbows, I nestled one cheek into my fist. "Him or me," I echoed quietly. "Are you glad I chose me?"

Gale rolled over and crawled so he lay on his belly, our shoulders brushing against each other. "Naw, I'd like a dead best friend."

"Now who hates who?" I shot his a sidelong look.

"Just promise me it won't happen again. Not unless you _have_ to."

There was no humor to my smile. "Yeah."

_Drip. Drip. Dr—_

"Ugh!" Gale scowled and wiggled his nose, the water droplet rolling off the end.

I laughed softly and watched him wiped it away with one finger. He grinned and jabbed the finger into the back of my neck. It was wet and icy. I tensed my shoulders against a shiver.

"Gale!" I cried, shoving him away and frantically trying to wipe off the water.

The boy threw a handful of hay at me and I ducked. It landed on the Prince's face and he mumbled in his sleep. We halted in our fight, both holding fists of hay. A strange sound came from the small child as he stuck out his lips, spitting out the hay. His chest rose as he took in a large breath, and then he let it out in a shower of spit. I narrowed my eyes and flicked a few drops from my cheeks, looking at Gale for help. Some help; he simply shrugged. The Prince opened one eye and gave a crooked smile.

Something scraped against my back and I screamed, leaping away. Gale pulled his hand out of the back of my dress, his fist now empty of the hay he had been holding. The Prince giggled as I itched at my shoulder blades. He crawled over to me and scratched my back through my dress with his sharp, little fingernails.

"All right, all right!" I said, throwing out my arms.

Both boys stopped, tipping their heads to one side. I suppressed a smile and waited until I had calmed down a bit.

"Back to sleep, Prince," I ordered, pointing a finger at him.

The Prince folded his arms across his chest, but finally decided to oblige to my request. Dropping into my lap, he nestled his head into the crook of my arm. A few seconds later, he was snoring softly. I raised my eyebrows at Gale.

"I can't do it," I whispered, looking down at the three year old in my lap.

"After all we went through to get him?" Gale asked, but I knew from his tone that he agreed with me.

Resting my cheek on the Prince's head, I sighed. "No. I couldn't do that to him."

"What other choices do we have?" Gale scooted a little closer to me. "Don't think for a moment that I want to hand him over, but what will happen to you if we don't?"

I stared off into the darkness. "I don't know, Gale. But I'll take my chances."

Gale took my red cloak, brushed off a clump of hay, and draped it over my shoulders. I lifted my head from the Prince's hair and rubbed my face into the soft material. It still smelled like my mother, warm and sweet.

"We'll figure something out in the morning," Gale said quietly. "Goodnight, Marley."

I don't remember if I ever told him goodnight in return, for the next thing I knew, I was asleep.

A sliver of sunlight peered through the crack in the stable's roof, a golden streak that ran across my face. I touched my cheek, feeling the warmth on my skin and sat up. The Prince was snuggled into a nest of hay beside me, but Gale was gone.

I shook the little boy's hand until his eyes fluttered open. He yawned and threw out his chubby arms in a ridiculous form of a stretch, wiggling his fingers. We climbed down from the loft and shuffled sleepily out into the morning air. One of the blacksmith's carthorses was tied to a post just outside the doors and I went to it. Poking up from a pocket in the saddle was a small piece of parchment. I lifted the Prince onto my hip and took the note.

**You are welcome for the horse. **

**Meet me at the Forge Hut I have an idea.**

**-Gale**

Setting my bundle on the back of the horse, I swung up into the saddle and took hold of the reins. Once we were securely seated, I turned my red cloak so that the black lining faced outward. Normally I would have stored my mother's cloak away and used my own, but wearing it…I felt safe. Turning the animal towards the road, I stooped my neck forward so my mouth was close to the Prince's ear.

"Keep your head low, all right?"

He nodded, so I straightened and kicked my heels against the horse. It lurched forward, hoofs thudding against the ground and neck outstretched with the effort of galloping. I didn't bother to go through back alleyways or the roads less traveled on. Who would suspect a fifteen year old girl to be the kidnapper of a prince? No on gave me a second thought as I rode through the center of the village and to the Forge Hut. Voices drifted from all directions, but not with the usual buzz of excitement. The air felt heavy with the worry and fear of the villagers. The events of the day before had obviously taken their toll.

I cast a quick glance towards the palace, which sat on a large hill outside of the village. The rising sun outlined the white walls and I swallowed. Even from this distance, I could make out the black flags that flew over the towers, indicating that the royal family was in mourning. I was the reason for those flags.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

A horse and cart sat outside the Forge Hut, filled with every kind of weapon Mr. Woodems could possibly forge. Gale appeared from inside as my horse trotted to a slow stop. A stack of expertly crafted spears lay across his shoulders and his arms reached back, holding them there. I dropped from the carthorse's back and watched as Gale halted beside the cart, ducking his head so the spears slid from his back. He turned, rubbing one eye, and gave me a small wave. I held up a hand in greeting and led my horse to him.

"I'm sorry I left," he said, taking the reins and wiping a bead of sweat from his brow.

I lifted the Prince to the ground; glancing around to be sure no one had noticed him. "That's all right. Let's get him inside."

The older boy tethered the carthorse, then followed the Prince and I into the structure. A wave of heat instantly hit me, causing pinpricks of sweat to work their way to the surface of my skin. Normally on a cool, autumn day, I wouldn't have minded the warmth. But now, nerves worked together with the forges to make me feel as if I were on fire. Squirming uncomfortably beside me, the Prince whimpered.

"It's too hot."

"I know, sweetheart," I said. "Go and sit by the window. That will make you feel better."

He toddled away to the window and I looked around. Every forge was burning and the blacksmith stood with his back to us, leaning over something he was smelting. Gale moved around me and picked up a large hammer before moving to an anvil. Frowning, I followed him.

Mr. Woodems turned, swinging a steaming sheet of metal towards his son. "Another sword, Gale." He didn't so much as glance at the golden-haired prince.

My friend waited until the soft metal settled on the anvil until he raised his hammer and began to beat down on it.

"What is all of this for?" I asked, pulling at the collar of my dress.

_Twang. Thunk. Twang. Thunk. _Gale's hammer slammed into the metal, shaping it into the weapon it would become. His chest heaved as he took in a deep breath, then he let it out and swung him hammer in one motion. With a grunt, let the large tool in his hand thud to the floor.

"The King feels that his family needs to be better protected after what happened yesterday," Gale huffed. "He's ordered twice as many guards in the village and the palace. More soldiers means more weapons."

_Twang. Thunk. Twang. Thunk. _

I brushed a piece of damp hair from my face, almost having to shout to be heard. "I feel so awful for even thinking that I could hand over…" I glanced at Mr. Woodems, "…our parcel."

"I as well," the boy agreed. "However," _twang_, "I," _thunk_, "know," _twang_, "what to do," _thunk_, "instead."

Dropping the hammer, he carefully picked up the soon-to-be sword with a piece of cloth and slid it into a barrel of water a few feet to his right. The cool water hissed as the hot metal touched it and I clapped my hands over my ears. Biting my lip, I looked to be sure the Prince was where I had left him. He lay on the dirt floor below the opened window, his limbs flung out so he made the shape of a star.

"So what is this grand idea of yours?" I asked as Gale once again lowered his hammer.

A dirty handkerchief sat on a closed barrel next to me and I held it out to him. He took it and wiped his face, smearing grime and ash across his forehead. Giving me a nod of thanks, Gale tossed it back to me and I wrinkled my nose, letting it fall to the ground at my feet.

The boy looked me in the eyes and said, "We'll have to get the man's gold back."

I gawked at Gale. "Impossible! You heard what he said: the coins he gave me are halfway around the kingdom by now. How is there even the slightest chance of getting them back? There was enough to fill half of a purse. That's at least twenty pieces scattered somewhere in this world."

"But he knows where they are," Gale raised his hammer to rest on his shoulder. "He said so himself. If he wants to be repaid so badly, he'll simply tell us where to find the gold, and we can get it for him."

Mr. Woodems' large form appeared behind us, his face red and glistening with sweat. "Gale, we've no time for gossiping. Get to work. I'm sorry, Marley, but you sh'd be off."

"Of course," I hurried over to the window, hiding the Prince behind me.

I stuck one hand behind my back and waited until a smaller one took hold of my fingers. Then, still shielding the child from the blacksmith's eyes, I started for the door.

"My apologizes for bothering you," I said, pushing the Prince out of the Forage Hut even though I didn't know exactly where we were going.

Gale followed us out, ignoring an angry grunt from his father. "Watch out for the guards," he breathed, "they're everywhere."

My stomach tightening, I drew the Prince to my leg so his face was hidden in my skirt. Satisfied that no one had noticed us, I looked around the busy street. Now that Gale had mentioned it, my eyes found at least five guards within a few yards of the hut. I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself.

"Oh, and one more thing," Gale put a hand on my arm, leaning against the doorway. "They've put out a reward for anyone who finds the Prince or the Masked Archer." He winked. "I know how much you enjoy rewards."

I scowled at my friend and steered the Prince towards the street, though inwardly I was glowing. Any opportunity for that lovely, well-polished, sweetener to life known as gold to be mine, I would take. I dropped to a crouch and turned the Prince so we were face to face.

"Now, honey, I have some good friends who are going to keep you safe from the bad people, all right?" I waited until the little boy nodded before continuing. "But, they can't know anything about me taking you."

Another serious of vigorous nods followed and I cupped his face in one of my palms. I patted his cheek, smiled, then rose to my full height and took a deep breath.

"Guards! I have the Prince, he's here," I shouted, my voice carrying far above the villagers'.

Heads turned from every direction, attention drawn away from market stalls and shops to me. There was a moment of total silence, and then it seemed the entire village was rushing towards me with shouts and cheers. The first group to reach me was a small party of burly guards. I lifted the Prince from the ground and held him out to one of the armed men while the child looked about frantically, trying to make sense of the commotion around him. He didn't seemed frightened, just overwhelmed. The guard didn't take the Prince, but pushed the little boy into me. Confused, I clutched him tightly as the guards formed a tight circle around me.

"Miss, we'll be taking you to the palace. Keep a tight hold on the Prince; we wouldn't want anyone to take him away again," one of the men told me.

A cold hand of dread suddenly clenched inside my chest and I searched for any chance of escaping the knot of guards. Being me, there was no such luck. All I could do was hold the Prince close and stumble along as I was ushered through the mobs of hollering people.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

Standing alone in the Audience Chamber, I bounced nervously on my toes, up and down, up and down. The King and Queen had met my escorts and I just inside the palace doors, the worried mother pushing passed her husband to her child. She practically tore the Prince from my arms, blubbering "thank you" at least twenty times, and then disappeared with her family into one of the many ivory rooms of the palace. The guards had then led me to the room I now stood in and ordered me to wait before leaving themselves. They must have been caught up in all of the excitement because not one stayed behind to be sure I actually stayed, or for that matter, stole anything. That was mistake number one.

The room was enormous. Three, two-story, mud-brick houses could have fit inside, and this was only one of probably half of a thousand rooms. About a third of the floor rose above the rest, elevating the area where three thrones sat. The center throne was solid gold, while the others were made of silver. To my forever disgrace, I licked my lips hungrily as my gaze rested on the King's chair. Long, wooden benches were placed in two rows, all facing towards the thrones. I stood in the aisle between the rows and ran my fingertips over the plush cushions that covered the seats of the benches. Then, I spotted the candles with their flickering wicks and golden holders. There were hundreds of them mounted on the walls, decorating the room.

I bit my lip and looked around to be sure no one had come in without my knowledge. No, I was still alone. I walked to one set of candles and blew them out with a quiet breath. Glancing over my shoulder towards the doors, I eased the holder from the wall and slipped into one of the hidden pockets of my skirt. It was large and didn't quite fit in the pocket, but if I turned just so, it was invisible.

As I finished tucking away the candleholder, the doors opened. My heart leaped into my throat and I froze as a party of people entered the room, lead by two armed guards. Following them was the royal family with two more men bringing up the rear. The Prince was not with them, but the King and Queen strode passed me to their thrones. I gave a clumsy curtsy, trying not to drop the holder stashed in my skirt. Husband and wife took their seats, their robes spreading across the chairs and down to the floor.

"Now," the King looked down at me, his eyebrows raised, "who does my family owe such thanks to?"

I swallowed. "Marley Elizabeth Frost, sire."

"Well, Miss Frost, thank you for finding my son," he smiled.

The Queen nodded. "And of course you'll be given the reward that was promised. You have heard of the reward, I assume?"

"No!" I lied, eyes wide with wonder as I shook my head.

"Isn't it sweet," the Queen beamed at her husband, "that this young girl would simply do something like this out of the goodness of her heart?"

I tried to look humble, but it was difficult as I tried to stifle several smirks and giggles. Neither of the nobles seemed to notice the sounds or the way my shoulders slightly shook. Once I had finally regained my composure, I realized what I really had done for them, the magnitude of it all.

"Your Majesty," I dipped my head towards the Queen, "may I speak with you in private?"

Her gaze was on me, but I didn't fail to notice the way her eyes were slightly glazed. It was as if she were looking through me, rather than at me. "Why of course!" She chimed. "But first, your reward."

The Queen clapped her hands and a small door to my right opened. A young severing girl scurried forward, a bag the size of my fist nestled in her outstretched hands. I stared at it until my vision blurred, for it was right beneath my nose. Without a moment's hesitation, I snatched the bag from the girl and opened it. Inside was a bundle of cloth. Glancing up at the King and Queen curiously, I pulled out the bundle and began to unwrap it. I could feel something heavy and solid in the layers of fabric, but there were many, _many _layers. When I finally reached the center, I took in a deep breath and drew back the last fold. In my palm were three items: two gold coins and a rusted compass.

"You are welcome," the Queen squealed, shaking her head so the blond hair that covered it swayed against her shoulders. "That compass is a very rare treasure."

Frowning slightly, I turned it over in my hand. "I'm sure."

"I'm so glad you like it. It's the least we could do after what you've done for us," the King told me, but I could hear the mask of sincerity slipping free of his voice.

Anger slowly began to bubble and rise inside of me. I bit my tongue, struggling to control the words that pressed against the inside of my mouth. I counted backwards, attempted to clam myself. Three…two…one…

"It's a compass!" I shrieked; pocketing the coins before anyone could take them and then holding up the tarnished 'treasure'. "After all the trouble I went through, this is all I get? I should have ended this before it started. You expect me to be thankful for this piece of rubbish!"

I would have thrown the compass down and crushed it beneath my heel, but two guards were suddenly holding my arms and dragging me towards the doors. The serving girl was watching from the corner, shaking her head as if I were the fool. I kicked and screamed, still clutching my reward.

"The little man was right; you're a cheating miller's daughter!"

Still trashing wildly, I managed to catch one of the guards in the jaw with my elbow. His hand came up and slapped across my face, bringing the dragging and screaming to an immediate halt.

"Wait!" the Queen rose from her throne, a hand held up.

I tore my arms free of the guards, giving the one who had hit me a poisonous look before shaking myself.

Taking slow, deliberate steps, she made her way to the edge of the raised floor. "Walk with me."

Glancing at the armed men behind me, then at the woman, I decided to take my chances and hurried forward. She linked arms with me and assisted me out of the audience chamber, casting a quick smile towards her husband as the doors closed behind us. Once we were alone in the corridor, she pulled away and rounded on me.

"It was you, wasn't it? He sent you to take my son," she narrowed her eyes, both hands clenched into fists.

I blinked a few times, still trying to simmer down from my outburst and understand the Queen's sudden change of mood. "We _are _both talking about the little man with an incredibly short temper who can turn straw into gold, aren't we?"

Sighing, the Queen rolled her eyes. "Yes, yes! But he did send you, didn't he?"

"Um," I quickly gathered my thoughts, "I suppose you could say that."

The woman huffed out a large amount of air, turned away from me, and rubbed her face with her hands. I waited as my confidence began to seep back a little at a time. Finally, the Queen spun back to face me.

"I should have you imprisoned this instant."

Folding my arms across my chest, I said, "On what charges? What proof is there that I'm the kidnapper?"

"You're also the Masked Archer," the Queen pointed an accusing finger, "a thief. Then, there is also the fact that you murdered one of the royal guards! That's enough for an execution."

"How do you know it was me?" I protested. "I'm just a simple farm girl."

By now, I could almost see the steam pouring from the Queen's ears and the fire shooting from her mouth. "I know it's you because you're not the least bit afraid, are you? And I highly doubt you found the Prince just wandering the streets on his own. Oh, but who would believe such treachery of a young girl? You do not fool me, Marley Frost."

I stared calmly at her, trying to hide the fear and anger that crawled beneath my skin. "Obviously, the Masked Archer has managed to fool many for a long time. But who are you to judge, _Your Majesty_?"

There was a long paused and I took the silence to look her up and down skeptically. Deep down, I was enjoying the drama of it all.

"A lowly miller's daughter who just so happens to have the ability to turn straw into gold," I continued. "However, it wasn't your gift, was it? Every child in the kingdom knows the story of how 'the girl, with her golden touch, won the heart of the King and became Queen', but do they know the lies sewn in between? The King doesn't know either, does he?" I saw the shadow of panic flicker across the Queen's face and almost laughed. "I'll take that as a no. You made a deal with the man: your first-born for his help. Not only is that a terrible thing to do, but when the time came to hold up your end, you cheated him!"

I studied her face, watching her squirm. She glared back at me with a sneer plastered on her lips.

"He's my son," the Queen's voice was dangerously low. "I would never hand him over to that wretched creature. If I could guess his name, I could keep my baby. There was no way I could do it on my own, so I had my page follow him. He was so angry when I told him his name, and then he fell into the trap I had set. My husband never found out. I thought he was gone for good…" she shook her head.

A spark of sympathy ignited inside of me and I placed a hand gently on her shoulder. "I brought the Prince back; I couldn't deliver him either."

Slowly, the Queen's teary eyes rose to meet my gaze and she shrugged away my hand. "Do not sympathize with me, girl. Leave, _now_. If I ever see you near my little boy again I will personally bring the axe down over your head. Be glad for your reward and that I don't have you killed here and now."

Livid, I tightened my grip on the compass that was still in my hand. I bit my lip as the Queen straightened and made a shooing motion with her hands. She had her composure, and all I had was a cheap reward. I turned and took a few steps before I heard the high cough from behind me. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw the Queen hold out her hand and nod towards my skirt. I sighed and handed her the golden candleholder.

"What was his name?"

She closed her fingers over the holder and frowned. "Rumpelstiltskin."

I nodded, spun on my heels, and marched away.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

"How did it go?" Gale asked with a grin as I stalked into the Forge Hut.

The boy was reclined in a wooden chair, only the two back legs touching the ground and his feet propped up on a barrel. In his lap was a half-empty bowl of soup, a hammer, and a wooden cup filled with icy water. Sweat still dripped down his face, but it was cooler than before since not every forge was still burning.

I snorted and shoved his feet from their resting place before casting the compass and coins onto the barrel top. Gale lowered the chair onto all fours and leaned forward to inspect my earnings.

"What's this?"

"This is all they gave me," I snapped, throwing one hand into the air. "It's insulting!"

Picking up the compass, Gale nodded. "No kidding. This doesn't even point north."

I moved so I could see the tool more clearly and frowned. The metal needle spun crazily, occasionally stopping to point straight at me. Taking it from Gale, I stepped outside and held it up to my face. It was no longer spinning, but the needle was pointing in the direction that I knew was south. My friend hovered over my shoulder, watching. Frustrated, I closed my hand around the compass.

"You're right, it's broken," I said. "So we're really going to find Rumpelstiltskin's gold."

Gale knit his brow. "The man?"

"That's his name," I explained. Then I added, "It's a long story."

Placing a hand on my back, Gale led me inside. "I have to work with my father until supper, but if you'd like to go looking for Rumble…Rum…_him_ tonight, I could meet you."

I nodded. "The sooner we rid ourselves of him the better."

"Marley!"

At the sound of Father's gruff voice, I grimaced. Gale's blue eyes widened in surprise and took an unconscious step away from me. I took a deep breath and turned towards the man filling the doorway of the hut. He glared at me, a low growl rumbling from his chest. Pursing my lips, I cast a quick look over my shoulder at Gale, and then I went to my father. Grabbing me by the collar, he pushed me ahead of him. He then dragged me back to his side and choked me with the collar of my cloak.

"You have explaining to do, girl," he spat. "The field isn't going to harvest

itself."

Clenching my jaw, I wiped the flecks of spit from my face and reminded myself that one day I would no longer have to answer to such a pathetic excuse for a man.

Gale and I waited in the crook of the eastern road for hours after sunset without any sign of Rumpelstiltskin. No black carriage bumped along the road and no little man appeared. Crickets chirped in the damp grass and I sat back on my heels, pulling my red cloak tighter around me. A gentle but freezing wind blew my hair away from my face and I glanced sideways at the boy by my shoulder.

"He's not going to show."

With a sigh, the boy lay back in the grass, propping himself up on his elbows. "Perhaps your right." He nodded to my throat, "I thought you said that was broken."

I placed a hand over the compass, which I had tied around my neck. "It is."

"Then why are you keeping it?" he sat up and held out a hand.

Somewhat reluctantly, I removed the compass and set it in his palm. He examined it as the needle spun to point towards me. I snatched it back and he raised his eyebrows skeptically.

"I don't know," I murmured. "I just couldn't bring myself to get rid of it."

Gale rose to his feet and reached down for me. "Come on, Marley. We had best be going home before we catch a chill out h—"

My head shot up and I gestured for him to be silent. I looked down at the compass in my hands and the needle swung, pointing towards the woods behind us. Gale gave me a curious look.

"Did you hear that?" I whispered.

Gale opened his mouth to answer, but then, he heard it as well. A distant voice was chanting, the sound barely loud enough to hear. My gaze slid from the end of the compass needle to the trees.

"It's that way," I hissed, starting in the direction the compass indicated.

"Marley!" Gale's shout came out as a hoarse whisper. "Marley, stop. It could be a wolf, or a bear, or a—Marley?"

I ignored him, leaving the boy standing in the brush by the road. Barely conscious of what was going on around me, I kept my grey eyes locked on the compass. Trees closed in around me, but I continued forward. Behind me, Gale crashed through the undergrowth in pursuit. I took a step and stumbled, a root catching my foot. I fell, the compass rolling away from me to be swallowed by the darkness. Strong hands lifted me from the ground and planted me back on my feet. I quickly pulled away from Gale, searching frantically for the compass even though it was near impossible to see. Prodding the ground with my toe, I moved slowly. Gale grabbed my shoulder.

"Are you all right?"

"No," I said quietly. "I lost the compass."

Rolling his eyes, Gale picked his way through the brush and stopped by a large oak tree. I watched him bend down and scoop something up.

"Is this it?" he held it out for me to see.

I made my way over to him and took the compass, letting out a sigh of relief. Then, a flash of light caught my eye. Knitting my brow, I stepped around Gale and the tree. Beyond the thick trunk was a clearing that dipped down into a small valley. In the center of the valley, a fire burned. Three logs sat in a triangle around the fire, but only one was occupied. Sitting on it was a small man with a long, brown beard. He swayed back and forth, chanting to himself.

"_Today is the day, the day she will pay. Long have I waited to bake and brew as the Queen's child grew. Today Rumpelstiltskin is paid_!"

The compass needle pointed straight to the little man. As if feeling our presence, Rumpelstiltskin sat up a bit straighter and stared at us through the dim light of the fire.

"Marley Elizabeth Frost, come and sit by my fire," he grinned, shadows making a mask around his eyes. "Do you have your payment?"


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

The light of the fire warmed my face as I sat on one of the logs, huddled in my cloak. Gale was seated to my right, and Rumpelstiltskin sat across from us. His heavy eyebrows drawing together, the little man studied us.

"Where is the child?"

I cleared my throat and stared into the leaping flames. "You can't have him."

Rumpelstiltskin jumped up, his face red. He began to grumble under his breath and stomp around his log, hands waving wildly above his head.

Quickly, I added, "But we will get you back your gold."

The man wasn't listening, still mumbling and cursing, only stopping to point a finger at me. "You….you will pay for this!"

He marched over to Gale and grabbed his wrist. The boy stared at him, trying to pull away as Rumpelstiltskin drew a knife from his jerkin and flipped Gale's palm upward. By now, I was on my feet and wishing I had brought my bow and arrows, not that they would do any good. The man pressed the blade of the knife against Gale's hand.

"He was mine!" he squealed. "The Prince was supposed to be mine. Get back my gold. Ha, I would like to see you try!"

I took a step forward, reaching for the knife. "I'll get back the gold, I swear it! Just tell me where to find it and I will get it for you."

Rumpelstiltskin narrowed his eyes, still holding Gale's wrist. Then, in one quick movement, he threw it down and stormed back to his seat. Gale rubbed his wrist and gave me a bewildered look. I pursed my lips and met his gaze in a silent apology. He readjusted himself, moving an inch or two closer to me, just to be safe. Rumpelstiltskin plopped down, still seething and clutching the knife. The little man cut shapes in the air, muttering something about how he hoped Gale and I died of smallpox. I cringed at the thought and subconsciously scratched my shoulder.

"You had better be telling the truth," Rumpelstiltskin growled. "If you're not," he jabbed his knife in Gale's direction, "I'll kill 'im. And do not think that if you run, I can't find you. As long as you have a debt to me, I know where you'll be."

Gale's eyes widened, but I did my best to ignore him. "We are not cowards; we'll keep to our word."

Rubbing his hands together, the little man nodded. "Good…good. There are sixty pieces of gold to collect."

"Sixty?" I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. "That can't be right."

"I know where my own gold is, Miss Frost," Rumpelstiltskin murmured, "and believe me, you have a _long _way to travel to find it."

Exhaling loudly, I fingered the compass, which again hung around my neck. He must have noticed, because the man raised his eyebrows at me. I closed my hand around it, not wanting to give it up.

"May I?" Rumpelstiltskin wriggled his fingers excitedly.

I hesitated, but in the end allowed him to hold my trinket.

"This is most interesting," he said, a faint smile spreading across his thin lips. "Do you know what this is, Miss. Frost?"

"It's a broken compass," Gale interjected.

Rumpelstiltskin laughed. "Broken? No such thing." He held it out so we could see the needle in the light of the fire. "It simply doesn't point north every second. It's enchanted." The needle _was_ facing north, in the direction of the palace.

"Enchanted?" I took the compass back from him, staring at it in wonder. The point instantly changed direction.

"This compass only points to what the holder wants most in this world," he mused, sitting back. "Whatever you desire, the needle leads to you it. Tell me, Miss Frost: what is it that _you want most_?"

Holding the compass in both hands, my first thought was my mother, and the needle swung to point southwest. My eyes widened and I grinned, the compass winking at me in the fire's glow. Gale was watching me, his expression unreadable. I bit my lip and thought of Rumpelstiltskin's threat. I needed to find the gold, if not to save myself, then to save Gale.

"The coins are scattered between three young women," Rumpelstiltskin said. "As long as you hold the compass, it will lead you to them. You have a week and three days to retrieve my gold."

I nodded slowly, pulling the string and compass over my head until it settled against my throat. Gale's face was still impassive, but I could tell that deep down, he was just as exhilarated as I was. The fire was starting to die and I took Gale by the arm, coaxing him to stand. He led me away from the dancing flames and the man who sat before them, his cold eyes gleaming with devilish delight. I followed my friend to the top of the hill before turning back for one last look. Rumpelstiltskin grinned at me across the clearing, and then the fire sputtered out. The woods suddenly seemed too dark, too quiet. But Gale was gently pulling me along, weaving in and out among the trees, and all I could do was follow.

As we neared the edge of the woods, I finally broke the silence. "Gale? You will come with me, won't you?"

There was a pause, then Gale stopped. "Of course I'll go with you, Marley. What would make you think I wouldn't?"

"You haven't said anything," I said. "I was afraid that…"

He spun me so that we were face to face, and looked deep into my eyes. "I would _never_ leave you on your own, understand?"

Suddenly feeling confused and like a small child, I nodded. Gale's hands dropped from my shoulders and we started to walk again. After a little while, Gale looked up at the sky and sighed.

"I suppose we should leave tonight."

Surprised, I smiled. It felt like I was facing an entirely knew life, one without my father, even if the life would only be for as long as we were searching for the gold. Either way, it was still something better than I had.

"The sooner we begin, the sooner it's over. Go home and gather… two week's worth of food for yourself. I'll do the same and meet you back here," Gale said as we reached the road.

I nodded and tucked the compass under the collar of my dress. "I'll meet you in an hour."

"In an hour," Gale dipped his head, eyes steady as they looked into mine.

Something hung in the air, something unsaid, but I could only sense it. I could not think of what that something was. Flashing me a half-smile, Gale quickened his pace.

Above our heads, the black was fading from the sky to an awkward shade of dark blue-grey, silhouetting the woods and fields of crops. My mud-brick house was a terrible, looming monster against the sky and I twisted my chilled hands deep into the soft fabric of my cloak. Gale whispered a goodbye, and then disappeared into the cloudy dawn. Stalks of corn rose up on either side of me like the bars of a cage, closing me in. They wouldn't be holding me much longer. I walked to the front door and opened it slowly. The hinges creaked softly and I pursed my lips, peering into the dark kitchen. I could make out the forms of the chairs, the table, and the fireplace, but I did not see my father. Turning, I closed the door as quietly as I could before hurrying to the false brick in the wall. My hands were shaking with anticipation and I tore the brick from its place, tossing it on a nearby rocking chair. The chair rocked once, screeching, but I was so close. I pulled my sack of gold from the wall and hefted it onto my shoulder, turning towards the door for my bow and quiver. A large, dark form blocked the door, a candle lighting his face, and my stomach dropped into my boots.

"Where do you suppose you're going, girl?" Father took a menacing step forward.

I hugged my golden treasures to my chest and backed away, bumping into the wall. My eyes flitted to the table. Resting on the wooden top was my dagger. As my father continued to advance, I moved along the wall, nearly tripping over the kettle that sat before the fireplace. I stepped foot over foot, drawing away from the brick into the open area of the kitchen. The burley man stood a few feet away now, barely more than an arms length between us.

"I'm leaving," I told him, my voice sounding inhuman in the quiet that surrounded us. "I'll be back in a few days and—"

Father scowled at me. "You're not going anywhere, Marley. I know about you and that blacksmith's boy. He finally convinced you to run away with him, did he? Well, _he _won't be around for much longer. He is not taking you away from me. You. Are. Mine."

He lunged for me. I dove for the dagger, but fell short as my father dragged me to the ground. Pinning me down, he dropped the candle and held my neck between his hands. I jerked upwards in an attempt to throw him; one arm stretching for the dagger. His hands squeezed around my throat and I choked, trying to take in air through my nose. My strength fleeting, I pounded pitifully at my father's chest. Annoyed, he lifted my head and then let it fall, banging it into the ground. Chest burning and lungs screaming for air, I lashed out one last time. I managed to wiggle one arm free and thrust my arm upward, catching my attacker's jaw with my elbow. His head snapped back and I bolted upright. Gasping, I scrambled to the table and grabbed my dagger. As I ran for the door my father caught my ankle, sending me sprawling. I kicked his hand away and kept running, only stopping to catch my breath when my bow and arrows were over my shoulder and I was through the door. Behind me, Father stumbled out of the house.

_Tha-Thump. Tha-Thump. Tha-Thump. _Coming up the road was a horse and rider. I rushed to the edge of the road. Pulling my hood over my head, I held out a hand as they neared. My father was lumbering towards me, swearing in a bellowing voice, and waving a butcher's knife from the kitchen. The horse galloped passed and Gale grabbed my forearm, lifting me off the ground so I swung into the saddle behind him.

"Damn you, girl!" Father yelled after us. "I'll kill you. Do you hear me? I'll kill you both!"

Cringing, I tightened my hold on Gale's waist and buried my head between his shoulders, trying to drown out the shouts of a madman.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

The sky was a creamy swirl of orange and pink as we rode through the first line of trees. I clung to Gale's waist, holding my compass away from my body to check the direction. We were heading south, which I knew was accurate only because the sun was rising to our right. The needle pointed straight ahead and we plunged through a tangle of brush, the horse's sides pushing against my legs as its breathing became more labored. This animal was not like the large carthorse that Gale had left for me the morning at the stable. It was smaller, more elegant, with a shining white coat and speckled grey nose.

"Are we still heading in the right direction?" Gale called over his shoulder, ducking under a branch.

I winced as the branch raked across my cheek. "Yes."

For most of the day we rode, only stopping to eat and water the horse. Seeing as how I hadn't had time to pack any food, our supply was cut in half. We rationed it carefully, barely eating anything unless we were truly hungry. By the time the sun was setting, we had emerged from the woods into a small clearing. A beautiful river cut through the middle of the clearing; a heavy, stone bridge stretching across its waters. Gale swung from the saddle and helped me down. My booted feet thudded as they hit the ground and I ran my fingers over my compass, not for the first time since our escape. Following the horse to the edge of the bank, I sat down cross-legged and trailed one finger through the calm water. Gale stood on the other side of his animal, holding the reins as she drank.

Scrapping my hand along the bottom of the river, I plucked up a smooth stone and drew it from the water. My gaze slid to the bridge and I brought my arm back slightly. Releasing the stone, I watched it skip across the water until it hit the bridge with a _thwick_. It sunk out of the sight and I sighed. Then, something beneath the bridge moved. I sat up with a gasped.

"Gale, did you see that?"

The boy ducked under the head of horse, who snorted disapprovingly. "Sorry, May," he muttered to the mare. Then, turning to me asked, "See what, Marley?"

I gestured towards the bridge. "There's something there."

"Well I don't see anything," Gale smirked. "It was probably just a shadow. I'll tether May. Would you go and gather some wood for a fire?"

Casting one last glance at the bridge, I nodded and slipped back into the trees. It didn't take long to find sticks and large branches in a woods, so after about five minutes, I went back to our campsite. Gale lit the fire with a box of tinder and flint, then we sat down and ate a small supper of dried fruit and strips of rabbit. Every once and a while I would look over my shoulder at the bridge. A forbidding feeling crawled up my spine, but I shook it away and soon I was asleep with Gale on first watch.

"Marley," Gale's breath tickled my ear and I slowly opened my eyes.

"What, Gale?" I grumbled, rolled over.

His face hovered just above mine and I frowned at him. I could barely see him, but I knew that he was blushing as he pulled away. Waiting for my eyes to adjust to the darkness, I rose onto my knees. My friend took me by the shoulders and turned my body so I was facing the bridge. I gave him a quick look. Gale shook his head and pointed me back to the bridge. Squinting, I caught sight of a large shadow swaying beneath the stone arch. The water rippled as small waves lapped against the shadow's stump-like legs and I shifted my weight forward, trying for a better look. A deformed, lumpy body sat on top of the legs, and resting atop the body was a twisted face. Horns protruded from its wrinkled forehead and I inhaled sharply.

Gale put his hand over my mouth. "Don't…move."

Trembling, I slowly moved my head up and down. After groping in the dark for a few minutes, I found his forearm and squeezed it. The hand covering my mouth fell, but I waited until I felt the slight tug from Gale as he rose and began to back away. Silently, I moved to a crouch, and then turned to follow the boy. We kept low to the ground until we reached the concealment of the trees.

"What is it?" I whispered, peeking around the trunk of a tree.

The beast sloshed through the water, never leaving the tunnel beneath the bridge. I swallowed and glanced at Gale. Unable to answer, he shook his head. We watched it fade in and out of view for a while longer, until I noticed something…

"Gale, where's May?"

The boy cast me a sideways look. "Where would you guess she is?"

I made a face as an unwanted image came to mind. What an unfortunate way to go, even for a horse. I tried my best to remain calm, but being stoic is difficult when there is some sort of horse-eating troll standing a few yards away. I pressed my back against the tree trunk, wrapped tightly in my cloak. Gale lowered himself to the ground beside me and pulled his legs up to his chest.

"Can you not shoot it?" he hissed.

Frowning at the dark outline of his face, I said, "No. My bow and arrows are at the campsite."

"Oh," Gale breathed, his shoulders slumping.

His left shoulder bumped my right and I wiggled away slightly. Inside my head, steam was curling in great plumes, throwing me into a silent tantrum. The fact that I couldn't even complain for fear of the beast hearing me made matters worse, and I heaved a heavy sigh. It was going to be a very long night.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

In the morning, Gale and I quickly gathered the equipment that the monster from the previous night had not eaten, and then set out on foot. Even in the shade of the trees, the sun somehow managed to crisp our skin. For such a time of season as it was, the weather came as an uninvited surprise. The heat of the day and our lack of sleep had put us in rather dark moods.

For about the fiftieth time since leaving our camp, a branch snapped and my hand reached back to touch the curved wood of my bow. Behind me, Gale let out an irritated puff of air.

"Are you sure we're going in the right direction?" he demanded, taking a sip from his deerskin canteen.

I rubbed my eyes and check the compass. "Yes, _Gale_. We are heading in the right direction. I've told you that at least ten times."

_Crack._ My hand yanked my bow from my shoulder and nocked an arrow before my brain registered the action. Gale raised his eyebrows at me.

"Must you do that? I'm starting to think you're going to shoot me."

"Maybe I will," I countered, lowering my bow and sliding the arrow back into my quiver. "Excuse me for being paranoid after our horse was _eaten alive_."

Rolling his blue eyes to the heavens, Gale snorted. I ran a hand through my tangled hair and closed my eyes for a moment, wishing I was anywhere else with anyone else. Suddenly, Gale raced ahead of me, spinning to cut me off.

"Did you hear that?"

I smirked. "Did I hear what, exactly?"

"A growl."

Narrowing my eyes, I gave my friend a tight smile. "That was me transforming into a badger. What do you think it was? Now you're the one who is paranoid."

"I can't believe I agreed to come out here with you," Gale muttered as brushed passed him.

At that, my mouth dropped open slightly. "Agreed? You volunteered, as I recall." I batted aside a branch, which whipped back as I released it. I secretly hoped it smacked Gale's face. His surprised gasp was reward enough and I smirked. "And what happened to 'I would _never_ leave you on your own', oh Prince of Chivalry?"

Walking and ranting, I did not realize how thick the undergrowth had suddenly become, or how incredibly tall the trees were. A coil of poison ivy hanging from a tree caught my wrist and I tore away. Frustrated that I was getting no response from Gale, I brushed away the vine and scratched at my arm. I stepped up onto a thick root and continued to itch.

"You're not listening to me, are you?" I accused, my brow furrowing as I concentrated on the red blotch that was forming on my arm.

I was so focused that I didn't realize until too late that my feet were slowly slipping out from under me. With a small cry, I stumbled forward, barely managing to catch myself. I held onto an overhanging tree branch and swung my bow back onto my shoulder.

"Aren't you sweet," I mused. "Thank you so much for your help, Gale."

Silence.

"Gale?" I glanced over my shoulder, my arm still draped across the branch.

There was nothing behind me but a small, black squirrel. I frowned, my eyes scanning the trees as the creature scampered away.

"Gale?"

After about a second's pause, I sighed and hopped down from the large root I stood on. There was still no sign of him.

"Ha, ha. Very amusing, G—ah!"

Something big slammed into my side, knocking me to the ground and forcing the breath from my body. I flailed my arm, trying to hit my attacker. Then a second shape, much larger than the first, sailed over my head and I froze.

"Marley," Gale rolled off of me, his back to the thing beyond us, "run!"

But I was paralyzed; all of my anger replaced by mortification. Over Gale's shoulder, my gaze found that of a disfigured wolf, its lips drawn back into a snarl. Its unnaturally long mussel twitched and I shivered. The beat's greasy fur was so thin; I could see the sickening pink skin beneath it. And the wolf's eyes were so human-like…I couldn't pull mine away.

"Run!" Gale repeated, grabbing my arm and tearing me from my trance.

Legs heavy and head clouded, I stumbled along after him. The wolf howled and I cast a look behind us. It rose to its back legs; front paws swaying at its sides. The fur that covered its body began to sink into its skin and its mussel pushed back into a reformed, human face. The man shook his head, scratched his bare chest, and snarled. Gale yanked me around the trunk of a tree and I turned my thoughts back to escaping.

We dodged trees and their grasping roots, our feet tangling in the thick undergrowth. Branches whipped across my face, stinging my cheeks. To our left, the wolf-man's silhouette flickered in and out of view as he raced between the trees. A coil of vine snagged my boot and my arm slipped from Gale's grip. I grunted as I hit the ground, my ankle twisting awkwardly. There was a snap, and at first, I feared that my bone was broken. However, no pain came.

"Marley!" Gale stopped, realizing I was no longer with him.

The wolf-man materialized in midair and I scrambled backwards as he landed at my feet, arms splayed for balance. I slowly reached for an arrow, trying to look at him yet not all the same. As I pulled the arrow free, I eased my bow from my shoulder. The wolf-man circled me, long claws growing from his fingers and naked toes. My fingers slid to the point of my arrow, but it was a shorter distance for them to travel than I remembered. The broken tip was nothing but a few sharp splinters of wood. That was fine; I could work with splinters.

Gale finally reached me and hauled me up by a handful of my cloak. His eyes were wide, reflecting my own fear. Cautiously, I slid my broken arrow onto the bowstring, keeping the weapon knee-high.

There was a tension that hung in the air; stretching time for what felt like eternity. Then, in an instant, the wolf-man lunged. His human face shred away and a wolf's features exploded through the skin. My bow came up and the wolf-man staggered back, an arrow jutting from his furry shoulder. He growled, holding his injured leg off the ground, and backed away.

"Come on," Gale breathed, his fingers digging into my shoulders.

I didn't move.

"Marley, let's go."

My friend took my bow and pushed me in the opposite direction of the wolf, forcing me to take a step. However, my eyes had again found the wolf-man's. My eyelids felt heavy and I swayed. I was aware that something was wrong, but all I could think of were those piercing eyes…

I began to crumple and Gale slung my bow over his shoulder, looping one arm under my knees and then the other around my back. I felt how solid he was, how real, and some of the fog in my mind melted, but I still could not move. He lifted me off my feet and carried me a little ways away before setting me into the nook of entwined roots. He never turned his back on the injured wolf, but he would not meet the animal's gaze.

Head rolling to one side, I whispered, "What big teeth he has."

With a puzzled look from Gale, I decided it would be best if I just stopped talking. I began to climb out of the dark pit I had been sent into and strained to see around the tree. The wolf had managed to dislodge the arrow and had its nose pressed to the dirt, trying to catch our scent. Gale looked from the tree's lowest branch to me, then cupped his hands.

"Climb."

I placed my foot in his hands, dug my nails into the bark, and began to climb. The boy followed, allowing me to pull him up the last few feet. Once we were safely perched on a branch that was sturdy and wide enough to hold us both, I became painfully aware of the throbbing sensation that radiated around my twisted ankle. I bit the inside of my cheek and swung my legs onto the branch beside me. Gale sat at my feet, his body rigid as he watched the ground below.

"Give me my bow," I grunted, sliding it off his shoulder and plucking experimentally at the string.

Finding one of my arrows that was still in one piece, I laid it on the string and pulled back until my thumb hooked under me jaw. An angry howl echoed through the trees, seeming to come from everywhere at once. I threw a glance over my shoulder, but there was no wolf-man lurking on the floor behind us.

Relaxing slightly, I leaned back against the trunk of the tree and lay my bow across my legs. Gale shot me a look and sighed. That was all it took for me to remember that I was still angry with him.

"How could you just leave me like that?" I poked his rib with my toe, causing an unwelcomed and agonizing cramp in my ankle. "You couldn't have at least warned me there was a wolf before disappearing?"

The boy stared at me, a blank expression on his face. "What?"

"Forget I said anything," I said flatly. "I have half the mind to push you out of this tree."

As understanding dawned in Gale's eyes, his jaw tightened. "I told you I heard something. And I did not leave you; I told you to follow me, but you were too busy nagging to hear." 

"_Sure_." I rolled my eyes even though I knew he was probably right.

"I'm not fighting with you," he announced.

Smirking, I brushed a leaf from my shoulder. "Blast."

I pushed my finger into the tear I found beneath the leaf. Small red and black strings hung around the edges of the hole, tickling my finger. I had actually torn my mother's old cloak, labeling myself as the world's worst daughter.

"I think he's gone," Gale broke into my silent lament.

Frowning, I looked up at him. "Who?"

"The wolf."

"Oh," I glared at the hole, as if I could mend it by pure willpower.

Gale placed a hand on my foot. "It's just a cloak, Marley."

"Ow!" I jerked my foot away and pulled my knee up to my chest. "That hurt."

"Sorry," the boy mumbled.

He blushed and moved a little farther away from me, as if he were afraid I might break.

"It wasn't you, Gale. I fell," I assured him, re-extending my leg so he could see.

Looking a little more confident, Gale scooted closer and gently folded back the hem of my skirt. My ankle was already swollen and scraped, the faint yellow of a bruise-in-progress tinting the skin. He widened his eyes for a second, and then ran a hand through his dark blond hair.

"It looks pretty bad."

I shrugged and lied, "It isn't."

"Can you walk on it?"

Taking a deep breath, I nodded. "I got up here, didn't I? Walking shouldn't be too difficult."

"Brilliant," Gale dipped his head and released my foot.

Neither of us spoke after that. We sat in the tree for at least an hour, unsure of what to do next. A chilling wind caused me to shutter and I pulled the compass from inside my collar. The needle pointed to the left slightly, the tip quivering as it directed me towards Rumpelstiltskin's gold. Gale watched me thoughtfully; his eyebrows raised just enough to catch my attention. I tucked the compass away and turned, throwing my arms around the trunk of the tree.

"What are you doing?" he said with a breathy laugh.

I shot him an annoyed look and slid my legs over the edge of the branch, clinging to the tree and suddenly rethinking my decision. "I'm climbing down. What does it look like?"

"Like you're going to fall and break your neck," he laughed, crawling over and helping me readjust my footing.

Wincing as my ankle bent to support my weight, I began to half slide, half climb. Gale took a different route, swinging from our branch to the one below it and so on. He dropped to the ground a few seconds before me, brushing himself off with an arrogant grin and watching me struggle. My foot slipped and I gasped, falling backwards into my friend. The boy caught me under my arms, holding me upright. After a moment of shock, I recovered and started to pull away. I secretly noted that he held me for a moment longer than necessary before finally letting me go. I brushed the bits of bark from my skirt and started in the direction my compass had indicated. Behind me, Gale gave a strangled, awkward cough and quickly fell into step beside me.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

The woods seemed to stretch on forever, and maybe it did, but it led us in one vast circle. Neither of us could tell. Either way, it was hours before we came across even the faintest signs of life. The sky above us was a hazy grey as we stumbled towards the intoxicating smell of roasting meat. Smoke drifted and rose between the trees, guiding us into a clearing.

A small sapling grew in the very center, encircled in two rings of stones. Between the rings, fire burned to enclose the tree, and that is where we found the woman. Her tangled hair stopped at the nape of her neck and she was dressed in a patched and tattered dress. The woman was mumbling to herself, every now and then turning towards one of the nine stumps that dotted the clearing and saying something like, "Now, now Grumpy."

"Marley," Gale hissed, pulled me to hide with him behind a tree, "I think she's a witch."

I glanced around the trunk, eyeing the young woman. She sang a few verses of an eerie tune, pulling her hair back and tying it with a leather throng. As she went back to tending the meat that roasted over part of the fire, the dying sun glinted off of something around her neck.

"Her necklace… she has the coins," I whispered.

Before Gale could protest, I slipped around him and crept among the tree line, slowly drawing closer to fire. The woman paused in her work and cocked her head like an excited puppy. My stomach tightened and I ducked behind one of the stumps, my head just barely peeking above the top. I chanced a quick glance at the woman, sure that she could hear my beating heart or gasping breaths. If she did hear, she didn't show it. At least she did not until there was a sharp _snap _from behind me. I shut my eyes as tightly as I could, cringing at the sound and letting out a slow breath.

_Oh, Gale. _

The woman's eyes instantly found Gale, who stood at the edge of the trees with a flushed face. He cursed and bolted to where I crouched. As he moved, so did she, dashing barefoot over broken sticks and scattered trinkets. Gale hauled me to my feet and we turned to run, but the young woman was faster.

He jerked backwards as she pulled him towards her, causing me to stumble back into Gale's chest. The woman dragged us towards the fire, her mouth spread into a crazed grin as the boy wrapped a protected arm around my shoulders.

"You've come for me!" she sang, throwing Gale and I onto our knees before the roasting meal. As she released us, Gale pulled me closer. "I've been waiting for so long. Stay, I have been cooking this for you."

I looked at Gale, pushing him back to arms length. The woman's wild eyes flitted between us, a frown creasing her dirt-smudged brow as she lifted the meat from the spit on which it was hanging. Gale and I separated and I quickly scanned the area. There were no bows or swords that I could see, no weapons of any kind, and I still had my arrows if the need arose. And the smell of the sizzling meat was so alluring. As I met Gale's eyes, we came to a silent agreement. Smiling, I nodded to the woman and she swung the stick holding the meat over her shoulder.

She beamed and gestured towards the stumps. "Have a seat and I'll serve." Although she spoke to both of us, her eyes remained hungrily locked on Gale.

The boy cast me an anxious glance, but all I could do was shrug. After quickly pondering my options, I decided I would feel much more comfortable on the ground. I trailed behind Gale as he weaved among the stumps, his hands clasped behind his back critically as he examined each one. Finally, he chose a seat and sat with a sigh of relief. I dropped onto to the ground near his feet, pulling my legs up to my chest and resting my chin between them. The woman stooped over a blanket, cutting the roast into thin slices and then tossing them casually onto slabs of bark. She rose, balancing the makeshift dishes on her forearm, and screamed.

"Sleepy!"

Gale and I leaped to our feet and I nocked my bow, spinning towards the woods. The food plummeted to the ground in a sloppy mess and the woman raced to Gale's side. She thumped her fist across the back of his head and he doubled over, his hand covering the spot where she had hit him. I instantly adjusted my aim so that the tip of my arrow pointed at her chest.

"You cannot sit on the dwarfs, love!" the woman scolded, ignoring the razor sharp steal that was about to bite into her heart.

Taking Gale's arm, she led him to another stump and sat him down. I followed her with my bow, lowering it inch by inch as I began to relax.

"These aren't dwarves," I said. "They're dead lumps of wood."

The woman narrowed her eyes in my direction, holding Gale's shoulders. "No, _this _is a dead lump of wood," she pointed to the one in front of her, "as is that one. But how rude of me! Love, that there is Grumpy, oh and there's Sneezy. You'll have to mind your step around him or you may catch a cold. How many times I have, I can't even tell you!"

Gale stared up at her as she named each stump that she didn't consider a 'dead lump of wood'. There were seven in all. His gaze then slid helplessly to mine as I slung my bow back over my shoulder.

"…and this is Bashful," the woman was saying.

"All right, they're dwarfs," I huffed, settling back into the grass.

Nodding happily, the woman kissed the top of Gale's head and then went and prepared three more slabs of meat. I relocated closer to my friend, not trusting the way the woman winked at him over her shoulder. As if sharing the same thought, Gale reached down and rested his fingertips atop my shoulder; simply trying to assure himself that he wasn't alone with this lunatic.

"I'm Whyte, by the way," she called lightly over her shoulder. "But of course _you _know that, love."

Gale's hold tightened and I chewed the inside of my cheek, quickly pulling away from him before Whyte could notice. She handed us each a piece of bark piled high with meat and I glanced briefly at Gale before tearing into the soft roast. I sighed and leaned against Bashful, my belly warm and full as the sun sank behind the trees and the flames of the fire rose higher. Folding my hands over my chest, I watched Whyte toy with her coin-made necklace.

"I'm Marley Frost. That's very beautiful," I told her with a nod.

Whyte slapped her hand over the jewelry, her eyes darkening. "It's mine, _Marley Frost_."

"How did you come by it?"

"A man came stumbling out of the Secret Wood and asked me how to leave," Whyte smiled wistfully. "He was very handsome, and gave me these coins in return of showing him the way."

As I listened, Gale's plate bumped against my shoulder and I took it, stacking the slab on top of mine, which was, by now, empty. Naturally, Whyte took notice. She strode over with her own meal and settled herself down on the edge of Gale's stump. The boy moved over to make room. Setting her meat-piled bark in his lap, she clucked her tongue.

"Eat up, love. You need to keep your strength."

Feeling slightly guilty, but only slightly, I tucked into Gale's donation of food. "What's this Secret Wood? I've never heard of such a place."

"Never heard of it?" Whyte's eyebrows rose. "Do you see that white birch, there? Yes, the one with the three lines scratched into the bark. A vast ring of them stretches through the woods. Inside the circle is the Secret Wood; once you enter the trees come to life. They whisper your secrets as you think them, so you must block all thoughts from your mind." She burst into a plea of cackling laughter, wrapping her arms around Gale and leaning into him to keep from falling backwards.

I pursed my lips.

Gale stared at the birch tree, his eyes narrowing. "How?"

"How would I know?" the young woman said, her laughter cut off abruptly. "Most who enter the Secret Wood go _mad_. Mad!"

Whyte giggled again, rising from the stump and fluttering back to the fire. I shot a sideways look in Gale's direction and he met my gaze.

_We should leave, with or without the coins_, my eyes told him.

_Agreed_, his replied.

"Thank you so much for your hospitality, Whyte, but we really should be going," I said, climbing to my feet and pulling my cloak tightly around me.

"Go?" Whyte lifted her chin towards us with a pitiful expression.

I nodded. "Yes, Gale and I are supposed to be somewhere in the morning and—"

The young woman shook her head, causing her hair to bounce against her cheeks. "You cannot possibly go tonight. It's dark, and there are…wolves… in these woods."

As if to prove her point, a howl drifted towards us through the trees. I imagined the wolf-man squatting among the roots and undergrowth, his pale eyes glinting at me through the darkness. All thoughts of immediate departure fled.

"Gale."

He followed me a few feet away and we huddled together, sending quick glances from each other to Whyte.

"We really should not stay," I whispered, staring as her necklace gleaming in the firelight. Whyte glared back, only smiling when Gale gave her a little wave, holding the truce between us.

He swallowed. "I completely agree."

"But then what of the coins?" Torn, I realized that I simply could not bring myself to leave the gold with Whyte; she didn't appreciate it the way I did.

She was a madwoman after all.

"I don't know," Gale sighed, "but I don't like the way she's looking at me."

I managed a small smile. "Oh, let's stay, just for the night, _love_. We'll take the coins while she's sleeping and be gone by morning. I won't leave you."

Gale nodded slowly, a hand resting lightly on my shoulder blade. Then he drifted away like a phantom, sitting himself beside Whyte. She nestled herself against him and laughed. Wrinkling my brow, I felt a slight tingling sensation dance across my skin where Gale had touched my shoulder. It was silent promise; of what I could not say.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

Forcing myself to pry one eye open, I scanned the clearing. Gale lay sprawled across three stumps, whom I identified as Grumpy, Dopey, and Doc. Whyte was curled before the fire, which had somehow managed to burn through the night. Above, the sky was a pale pink and I stretched my arms and legs across the dewy ground with a silent yawn. Glancing quickly at Whyte's form, I untangled myself from my cloak, crawled to Gale, and gently shook his shoulder.

"Gale, wake up."

The boy groaned in his sleep and rolled onto him back, a strange, _cla-clink_ following the movement. I frowned and looked to the source.

Seeing it, I shook him harder. "Gale!"

"Mph," he looked at me through slits, "what is it, Marley?"

"You're chained to Doc," I choked out, completely unsure of whether to laugh, cry, scream, or possibly all three.

Gale sat up and wiggled his feet. "Don't be ridicul— holy mother, I am."

A thick chain connected a wide band of metal to a large ring, which looped around the dwarf-stump. We stared at each other as he repositioned himself, the chain clicking and clanking as he moved.

"Help me get this off," he hissed, tugging at the band.

I slapped his hand away and examined his restraints. "There's not even a hole for a key."

Shooting a glare in Whyte's direction, Gale growled, "She must have done it while we were asleep. I thought you were going to stay up and keep an eye on her."

"I _was_," I retorted. "You relieved me of watch about midnight."

The angry look was melting from Gale's face to form one that was more or less guilty. "Oh."

"What do you mean, oh?" I snapped. "You're the son of a blacksmith for heaven's sake. Find a way to remove this thing and let's go."

"I can't," Gale insisted. "It's impossible."

Biting my lip, I thought for a moment. My eyes followed the dancing flames of the fire. "Difficult, but not impossible." I rose, pointing at the tongues of orange and yellow. "If we could heat the metal, we could weaken it and cut through it and we could break you free."

"We certainly wouldn't get very far," the boy snorted. "This chain is heavy; it would slow us down _incredibly._"

I rolled my eyes. "Well, Gale Woodems, we shall cross that bridge when we come to it."

"What's going on here?" Whyte asked accusingly.

Turning, I found myself face to face with the crazed woman. She stared at me with her wild eyes, her mouth pursed in a tight line. I took a small step forward and waved a hand at Gale.

"That is what I'd like to know."

Whyte advanced as well, lifting her chin so the tip of her nose pressed against mine. "Stay away, grey-eyed demon!" She threw herself down beside Gale and hugged him. "Love, don't you worry. I won't let her take you away from me."

"I'm not your love," Gale told her firmly.

"Oh!" Whyte clung tighter, her gaze searing into me. "My heart!"

I sighed out of my nose and set my jaw. "Gale is leaving with me, now."

As I said the last word, I reached over my shoulder for my bow and arrows to find only air. Whyte's hold loosened and she raised her eyebrows. I followed her gaze behind me to where I had been sleeping. Lying in a bed of moss, were my bow and arrows. Our eyes met and there was a fierce moment of staring before I whirled and darted for my bow. The young woman passed me in a blur of motion, sliding across the ground on her knees and snatching up the weapons just as my fingertips brushed the feathers of an arrow. She spun on one knee, coming up with an arrow nocked and pointed at my stomach. I skidded to a stop, my arms held above my head. Over my shoulder, Gale stood at the end of his chain, reaching for me. Expectation hung in the air and I slowly lowered my arms to my sides, chest heaving as I tried to catch my breath.

"All right," Gale breathed. "Easy, Marley."

"_Stop talking to her_! _Stop _looking _at her,_" Whyte screeched, her glare unwavering. "Leave, Marley Frost. Run!"

I cast a helpless look over my shoulder at the best friend I could ever have. He dipped his head and mouthed, _Go_. Chewing the inside of my cheek, I backed away from Whyte and across the clearing. She rose to her feet and followed me to the edge of the trees.

"Whyte," I said.

The woman threw my bow at me, but kept the quiver full of arrows. "If you come back…don't."

And with those wise words, I slung my bow over my shoulder and melted away into the trees.

I spent that afternoon concealed in a large oak tree overlooking Whyte's camp, whittling arrows with a dagger I found shoved inside my boot. If only I had realized it was there earlier.

"_The moon bowed, moon bowed, moon bowed. The moon bowed to the sun, and said: How. Do. You. Do?" _Whyte's shrill voice rang out through the woods as she pranced around the clearing, twirling her skirts.

Gale watched her from his perch, looking bored as he sorted through a basket filled with mushrooms. The woman paused long enough to scoop up the basket from the ground and dance over to the fire. She slid a few mushrooms on a stick and held it over the fire as she continued to sing. I winced as she missed more than one very high note, and nearly nicked the shaft of my newly made arrow. Three feathers sat in my lap and I slid them into the small slots I had made for them, staring down the arrow to the sharp, wooden tip. Glancing up slightly, I gave a small start. Gale was looking towards me with clear eyes, and I would have bet my life that he could see me. I smiled, because this gave me hope.

As I laid the shaft across my lap and began to cut a thin layer of bark from the tree, Whyte screamed. I nearly fell from the tree at the sharp sound, managing to catch myself and drop as gracefully as I could to the ground. Wincing on my still tender ankle, I crept closer to the camp.

"Are you trying to _kill _me?" the woman shrieked, throwing the mushrooms into the fire and then tearing through the basket. When she found a red-speckled fungus, she held it out. "You cannot serve these; they are poison! One bite would make you so ill you'd be unconscious for days."

"One bite," I echoed, a plan staring to form in my mind.

Gale was now standing, his hands held out in front of him. "My mistake."

"Your mistake," Whyte sang softly. "Your mistake."

And then she went back to swaying and singing, kicking up her skirts and clapping her hands as her voice grew louder. Gale dropped glumly onto the stump and sighed. I drew away and quickly scratched a message into the strip of bark I had relieved from the tree with my dagger. I slipped it passed the tip of my arrow, nocked the bolt onto my bowstring, and released. The weight of the message threw the arrow off course, but it landed close enough to its target for Gale to notice. The tip splintered as it buried itself in the dirt and my friend hesitated, glancing towards the woods. He then shot a look in Whyte's direction. The woman was twirling in a rapid circle, swishing another stick of mushrooms through the fire. Gale crawled to the end of his restraint, stretching as far as he possibly could to reach the arrow. He drew it close and scanned through the carved letters.

Visit tonight

Turning towards trees, the boy dipped his head in my direction. A smile played across my lips and I went back to my perch.

That evening, just as the sun was setting and the stars were beginning to freckle the sky, I snuck into Whyte's grove. The shadows hid me well as the light bended and shifted. I crept to a small tangle of bushes just beyond the family of stumps and squatted, peering through the thin covering. Gale and Whyte lay on their backs not five yards away, staring into the deep purple abyss.

"Are you in love with me?" Whyte asked him, lacing her fingers through his.

There was long pause and I held my breath, caught off guard by the question. Certainly, Gale was too. He sat up a bit and squinted at the woman beside him in confusion.

"Come again?"

Whyte giggled. "Are you in love…with me?"

Again, there was hesitation. "I'm in love," the boy said.

My breath came out slowly and silently, filled with relief. He wasn't a fool, he'd do what he had to in order to stay on the madwoman's good side. I shifted my weight onto my toes, ready to move. But Gale's voice once again brought me to an abrupt halt.

"She's a princess," Gale murmured wistfully. "She is the most amazing, beautiful girl I've ever met. The way she laughs makes me want to sweep her off her feet and give her anything she could ever ask for, even if the sound does slightly resemble that of a snorting pig."

I blinked at the last remark, more than a little perplexed. Where was he going with this? He spoke with such detail, as if he actually knew the girl he said he loved. Unless…

The air was sucked from my body and I pressed a hand to my heart as a heavy, iron fist closed around it. It took me a moment to gather myself and realize that, thinking of Gale with someone…it actually matter.

_It doesn't matter, _I scolded myself. _She's not real._

"You make me sound so wonderful," Whyte yawned, rubbed her head against Gale's shoulder with heavy eyes.

"Yeah," my friend sighed. "She is."

Rocking back on my heels I settled in for a long wait. I combed through the grass with my fingertips and concentrated the emotions that were clashing inside me. I was almost certain that I had no feelings for Gale, as some people cared to phrase it, but he was my best friend. After a while, I could hear Whyte's even, shallow breathing drifting to me on the breeze and I whistled. Gale answered me and I silently moved from my hiding place. Our eyes met and he glanced down at the woman beside him, slowly lifting her from him and then lowering her gently to the ground. She mumbled something about foreign fruits, but then was still. I stayed close to the bushes, but Gale came as close to me as he could, a small bundle in tow. Reaching out for me, the boy placed the bundle in my palm. I closed my hand over it.

"Mushrooms?" I whispered.

He nodded. Sometimes it scared me how closely knit our minds were.

"Well," I said, a sudden wall crashing down between me and my concern for Gale, "enjoy your night with your _princess_."

As I turned to crawl back into the woods from whence I came, Gale caught my wrist. Despite the little red man sitting on my shoulder shouting for me to leave, I stopped and sat down.

With my back to him, I folded my arms across my chest. "Obviously you've forgotten that you're being held against your will, we only have…what seven days? Six? Until Rumpelstiltskin comes knocking. We need that gold, Gale."

"Marley, what are you talking about? What's wrong?"

"_I should just leave you here__!_" I fumed, my temper rising as I twisted just enough to give the boy a shove. "I should take the coins and leave you."

Gale gripped my shoulders and dragged me to his side. "You must get over this need for gold; it's driving you mad. I don't even know what you're saying. If you haven't noticed, I am still chained to a dead tree."

I struggled against him, but it was halfhearted. "Let me go, Gale. This isn't about the coins, and I'm not obsessed with gold." This was, of course, a completely transparent lie.

"How long have you been here?" he asked with raised eyebrows, suddenly realizing my meaning.

Shrugging, I muttered, "Long enough."

"I don't love Whyte," Gale said firmly. "You believe that, don't you? I told you I wouldn't leave you alone. Do you believe that?"

With a heavy sigh, I nodded. There was something in his eyes, in his voice, that begged me to believe him. It felt strange to hear it out loud, and coming from Gale. That foreign word known as love.

In return to my nod, Gale smiled. "Marley Elizabeth Frost, you're jealous."

At this, I jerked away and slugged his shoulder. He winced and shrunk away. "I am _not _jealous of you and your princess. _I'm happy for you_." The last words had a mind of their own, coming out in something between a laugh and a scream. Whyte stirred and began to sit up.

"Ba'thful?" she slurred, " 's something the ma…matter?"

I jumped and gripped the bundle in my hand. "I'll be back tomorrow. Do not eat the mushrooms, understand?"

Without waiting for an answer, I turned to run. Whyte slowly came to, yawning and shaking her head and mumbling something to Bashful. As I scrambled across the mossy ground, something caught my eye and I slid to a quick stop. My quiver full of arrows lay a few feet away and I scooped them up, slinging them over my shoulder as I dashed into the safety of the trees.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

Turning my cloak so only the black lining showed, I stepped from beneath the treetops. My hair was pulled back in a bundle inside my hood and a root I had carved served as a fake nose, which was the only thing visible from beneath my hood. I limped about for a few minutes, getting used to arching my back with each step. With my bow and arrows hidden behind my cloak and my hobbled strides, I could have easily passed for a hunchbacked old woman.

Satisfied, I teetered into the clearing.

Whyte turned as soon as she heard me, spinning so that the axe she had slung over her shoulder glistened in the early morning light. A pile and freshly cut woods sat at her feet. I stopped with a clumsy jolt and sputtered under my breath. Standing beside her, was Gale; his ankle chain-free. His eyes widened in silent amusement when he saw me, but he quickly looked away. My gaze traveled down his arm to a new restraint that cuffed his wrist to Whyte's. Apparently, she was feeling very gracious after Gale's declaration of love.

"Oh!" Whyte shrieked, clutching the axe as she took in my gnarled nose.

The boy relieved her of the potential weapon and she rushed forward as I swayed and mumbled. Catching my elbow, the young woman led me to one of the stumps, petting my head the entire way.

"You poor old, hag," she cooed. "You must be so tired of being so ugly."

I hesitated, my mouth hanging slightly open as I nodded and shook a hand at her. "Thank ye, dear. So kind, so kind." Overlapping my performance were Gale's quiet smirks.

Our eyes met for a moment and I winked at him, keeping my head down so that Whyte could not see. Gale lowered the axe head to the ground with a soft thud, burying the blade in the dirt before tugging gently on the chain that tethered him to Whyte.

"We should probably feed her, don't you think?"

"I _do _have a name," I told him, my voice high and whinnying.

Whyte didn't seem to care. "Quite right. Here, take this," she rummaged through a nearby pile of clutter and withdrew a teaspoon. I took it from her and she added, "Drink that, it will settle your stomach."

"My stomach's fine, dear," I sang while resisting the temptation to roll my eyes. "Besides, you cannot drink a teaspoon."

In all seriousness, Whyte gave me a startled look. "Why whoever told you that? They must be right out mad!"

Holding up the spoon I said, "She most certainly is."

Finding my answer satisfactory, she went back to the spit she had going over the fire, Gale in tow. She began stirring a large, rusted pot that dangled over the orange and yellow tongues, a delicious aroma coming from whatever was inside. I made a sound that came out as a vague, _mmmm_, and Gale grinned.

"Mushroom stew," he called over his shoulder as Whyte handed him the ladle she was using. "I put it together myself."

Giving the best elderly-woman-squeal that I could, I hobbled over and pulled a small bundle from my cloak. "I have the perfect herb to add, if you'll allow me; won me two gold pieces in a contest in my younger days."

I unwrapped the small scrap of cloth so that Whyte could see the pinkish powered which had once been a half of a mushroom. Taking my hand, Whyte raised it to her nose and sniffed.

"What is it?"

"_Tut-tut-tut_!" I quickly pulled away. "It's an old family secret, passed down to me by my grandmother's mother's father who it was given to by his mother's great-grandmother's –"

The woman snatched the bundle and dumped the contents into the thick, bubbling stew. "No need for a family history."

My heart leaped into my chest and I stared at Gale. His face was drained off color as he watched the stew absorb the poisonous power.

_Too much, too much, too much, _a small voice in my head echoed as the mushroom bits dissolved. _She put in too much! _I shook my head, which was an apparent sign to Whyte that her guest was freezing.

Whyte scrambled away for an extra cloak and Gale went sprawling after her, nearly flattening his face against the dirt. I laughed, but quickly shut my mouth when the young woman turned on me with a quizzical gaze. She hurried back to me with her love staggering along behind her and threw the cloak over me.

Five minutes later, the stew was ready and I still had no idea what my plan was, especially now that Whyte had decided to make the meal completely fatal. She invited me to the take the first bite, but I declined and she scooped a large mouthful from the pot to her mouth. Smacking her lips, Gale and I waited with anticipation. Whyte wrinkled her nose.

"This is ghastly, hag," she informed me. "Although… it does have an exquisite aftertaste."

She raised a second helping to her lips and, panicked, Gale smashed the ladle from her hands. Whyte screamed as it fell to the ground.

Tears pricked at her eyes. "Why would you do such a thing?"

I stood stalk still, marveling at Gale as he leaned in and kissed Whyte to cover his reaction. The world seemed to spin until he finally pulled away, his cheeks brighter than my red cloak while Whyte broke into a broad grin. Blinking at my friend in disbelief, I did not even _attempt_ to close my gaping mouth.

"I'm sorry, it couldn't wait," Gale said weakly, but I wasn't sure whether he was talking to Whyte or secretly apologizing to me.

"Not at all," the lunatic beamed.

She cupped Gale's face in her hands and pulled him in for anything kiss. This time, the boy resisted, stooping to pick up the ladle. Whyte's gesture of affection missed, grazing the top of Gale's head. Her eyes suddenly rolled into the back of her head and she let out a small sigh, but there was too much dead weight and she continued to fall forward, almost flipping over Gale's shoulder before I managed to force myself back into action and caught her. Together, Gale and I lowered her to the ground. This meant that he was forced to sit in the moss beside her so not to yank her arm from its socket.

A small smile of embarrassment tugged at the corners of Gale's mouth. "Well that was…fun."

"For you," I said.

Licking his lips, Gale replied, "She was right, by the way. That stew tastes awful."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

I scowled at him while he chuckled softly to himself. Rolling my eyes, I reached down and tore the coin necklace from Whyte's throat. The metal was cool in my palm and I slipped it into my cloak, throwing back my hood and removing my fake nose. Gale nodded to it.

"Was that entirely necessarily?"

I shrugged one shoulder. "I thought it was a nice touch."

"This one has a key," the boy said, raising his chained wrist for me to see.

Whyte's arm jerked up with his and I shook my head with amusement. There was no other explanation than luck. "All right," I said, "where is it?"

"Uh…" Gale's head swiveled this way and that, his blue eyes scanning the hills of trash. Pieces of silverware, items of clothing, an old rocking chair, a small hand mirror, and many more trinkets decorated the clearing. "Let me think for a minute."

Sighing, I began to pick through the piles one at a time, opening every jewelry box and burlap sack. One incident with a raccoon's skeleton gave me reason enough to look before I stuck my hand into anything. Finally, I opened a small, white-painted box. Inside were at least twelve keys that lay in a perfect line, the oldest looking on the left, and the newer on the right. I took out the ones on either end and snapped the box shut before going back to Gale. Neither key fit, nor did any of the other ten.

"Brilliant," I grunted, tossing the box aside.

Gale put a hand on my arm. "See that chest of tools? Bring it over here if you would."

The chest came halfway to my knee and I dragged it over with strangled groans. Once it was sitting beside Gale, I removed my cloak, turned the red side out, and refastened it. Gale took two slim hooks from the chest and set to work. _Cha-chink_. The chains dropped to the ground and Gale rubbed at the red band around his wrist.

"That's better."

Whyte whimpered in her sleep and I exhaled loudly; we hadn't killed her with our mushroom powder after all. Gale took my outstretched hand and I helped him to his feet.

Still holding my hand, Gale pointed us towards the woods. "You have the gold?"

"Yes," I held out the string of coins from inside my cloak.

With a quick nod and hand-squeeze, Gale took it and I made our way across the clearing, passed the white birch tree, and into the woods.

We hadn't been walking long when we first heard the voices.

"_How to tell her_,"_…_a voice hissed.

A shiver ran down my spine and I stopped. "Gale, did you hear that?"

His face was flushed and he cocked his head to one side. "Hear what?"

"Someone was just talking. 'How to tell her'…it sounded almost like you," I said.

Gale frowned. "Did I say it out loud?"

"What?"

"I thought I was only thinking it," Gale explained. "That's what I was saying in my head."

"_This is too strange_," a voice that wasn't mine stated just as the thought entered my mind. Startled, I looked around and then at Gale.

"Did you hear _that_?" I demanded.

This time, Gale nodded. "I heard it. Did you think it?"

"Uh huh," I whispered.

"Marley," the boy looked me hard in the face. "We're in the Secret Wood."

Hearing this, I snorted. "You don't really believe in that, do you?"

"_Um…yes_," not-Gale said.

The trees swayed, their stick finger snatching as us as they whispered thoughts as they surfaced. I closed my eyes and tried to block out all thoughts as long-time fears and secrets began to emerge in my subconscious. I tried to picture a vast wall of white, stretching on forever. A few moments passed and my not-voice faded away. Gale's, however, was coming out in full force.

"_…pretty…in love with a princess. And guess what? She's y—"_

I stared at Gale as his face twisted in sudden agony, his hands covering his ears in a failing attempt to block out the voices.

"Gale," I gripped his shoulders and spun him to face me, but his eyes were squeezed shut. "Gale!" He shook his head and yelled, his shoulders twitching beneath my hands.

_ "I'm terrified of rats…couldn't stop him from hurting her…terrible…worthless."_

The boy jerked and trembled, collapsing to the ground and I sank with him. I held him against me, stroking his hair and trying to coax him back up. Around us, the wind picked up and not-Gale grew louder until the mixes of thoughts, secrets, and fears were a shrill shriek. A few of my thoughts slipped out and mingled with Gale's, but I could barely hear them as we stumbled along. It was simply too much for Gale to bear, so many horrible things attacking him at once. I cradled him until my own defenses began to weaken and the wailing Wood exposed my soul. There was no way to tell one screeching voice from the next, and it came to a point where the words were nothing but a mesh of noise.

Searing pain ripped through my mind, flashes of light exploded behind my eyes. Everything I had ever seen or heard came rushing back to my memory. All of the beatings my father had put me through, the day my mother left me, the sounds of them fighting as I huddled in a corner and tried to sleep. The wolf.

"Hello?"

This voice seemed so far away, and it was neither Gale's nor mine, and it was not that of the tormenting trees. I raised my head through the pain and squinted into the blurred masses that I supposed were once solid trees. A form glided between and fell down beside me.

"Eat this," the form – a she—ordered, shoving something into my hand.

I could barely hear her over the echoes of the Secret Wood, but I took the thing she handed to me and swallowed it, keeping one arm still wrapped around Gale. The item was soft and sweet in my mouth; some sort of flower petal. The boy began seizing and the girl, who was slowly becoming clearer, poked another petal between Gale's lips and tickled his throat until he swallowed. She dragged him roughly away from me, blocking my view of him as she leaned over him and listened to his breathing.

The pain slowly ebbed away and I crawled to the girl, who I could now see was my age. Her golden hair was pulled back from her round face, braided down her back to her waist. I quickly looked over her ragged clothes and sturdy frame before turning my attention back to my friend. He had stopped convulsing, a cold sweat running down from his hairline and his chest barely rose as he took in shallow breaths. Rising to a crouch, the girl snatched Gale up like a feather and stood.

"Follow me, quickly." Her words sounded close, yet somehow muffled.

"I can't…hear," I said, scarcely able to hear myself. "What did you give me?"

Carrying Gale, she ignored me and began to move quickly through the trees. I followed her without hesitation, unwilling to lose sight of my friend. We walked at a brisk pace for some time and I was soon out of breath. Still feeling a bit lightheaded, I halted and leaned against a white birch tree. The girl stood just in front of me with her large brown eyes narrowed, as if she couldn't believe I was stopping.

"The effects of the flower will be wearing off soon," she said, her voice already sounding louder than it had before. "We should be as far away from here as possible before it's gone completely."

I pushed away from the trunk and trudge after her as quickly as I could, struggling to keep my eyes open as waves of exhausting washed against the inside of my skull. The effects of the petal the girl had given me faded rapidly and I became suddenly aware of all the sounds around me. Birds sang sharp, shrill notes and twigs snapped as a squirrel scampered across the ground just in front of me, one of its friends following in close pursuit. I rubbed one eye and glanced at the girl. She didn't look back to check that I was still with her, she did not speak until the thick woods gave way to thinner trees, and then the thin trees to an open field. The tall blades of grass were tipped with brown as the landscape slowly succumbed to the grip of autumn, the field leading to a sharply curving road.

"Where are we going?" I asked breathlessly, my feet dragging in the dirt as we walked the road.

The girl glanced at me over her shoulder, adjusting her hold on Gale. If the circumstances had been less severe and Gale had not been potentially dying, I probably would have laughed at the way he flopped about with each step our savior took.

"I don't know where you're going," she said, "but I'm taking him somewhere to lie down. His brain may be damaged."

Faltering to a stop, I raised my eyebrows. "You planned on leaving me here?"

"Plan," the girl corrected flatly.

"I haven't the slightest idea where I am!" I protested, taking out the compass from beneath my collar. Until then, I had almost forgotten I had it.

Seeing the tool, the girl snorted. "That will be enough to get you home."

"But I—" I stared at the needle. The needle pointed down the road. "I'm not leaving Gale."

Sighing, the girl turned back around. "Fine, but you do not talk to me, you do not look at me, and you do not ask any stupid questions. Understand?" She glanced back at me and I opened my mouth to reply, but then thought better of it after being assaulted by a wrathful glare. The girl smiled. "Good."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen**

The town was nestled between two large hills, a safe haven after the Secret Wood. As we weaved among the small crowds that dotted the streets and through the market square, the needle of the compass began to spin crazily. Being of no more use, I tucked it away. Our trio made our way to a large, stone house with a heavy curtain that served as its door. The girl pushed the curtain aside and I ducked inside after her, pulling my mother's cloak tighter around me as a shield against this strange place. I lingered just inside the door and watched the girl settle Gale into a small cot in the corner of the room.

A warm fire toasted the room a few feet from the cot and several more curtains hung from the ceiling, branching off into separate chambers of the house. There were no decorations on the walls, not a single tapestry or painting. Just rough shelves that had been cut into the stone.

One of the curtains swished and a tall, sickly-looking woman swept into the room. Seeing her, I took an involuntary step back. Her face was the palest I had ever seen; a piece of parchment against her black gown and shawl. Frankly, I was afraid that she would shrivel and die at any moment. Two smaller versions of the woman flanked her: one with a rounded figure and dark hair while the other shared my rescuer's blond locks.

"What is _this_, Coredilia?" the woman demanded, waving a paper-thin hand at Gale.

I drifted to my friend's side, hiding myself behind the larger form of the girl, Coredilia. She lifted herself up to full height and I knew instantly that this was a family of shouters.

"I found them in the Secret Wood. Felt sorry for that poor scrap, but it seems that this one followed me home," Coredilia jabbed a finger at me over her shoulder.

"My name is Marley," I muttered.

The woman swept her shawl over one shoulder. "Well get them out of my house!"

"Your house? This is Pa Pa's house, and as long as he lives here, it's mine as well!" Coredilia hollered back. "Now stop shouting or you may just kill the boy."

"That would be lovely!" the woman screamed back before whisking her darker-haired daughter away. The blond girl followed reluctantly with an eye roll in my direction.

Coredilia turned, nearly pushing me over, and placed a rough hand on Gale's forehead. I stood on tiptoe and peered over her shoulder—something that, being very tall for my age, I wasn't accustomed to. The girl narrowed her eyes at me without a word, so I graciously moved away.

"Will he…" I followed Coredilia with my eyes as she went and retrieved a bottle of something from one of the shelves. "Will he be all right, Coredilia?"

She popped the cork of the small bottle and squished Gale's cheeks together to part his lips. "Who gave you permission to call me by name? Hold his face." I did as I was told and she poured a bit of the liquid from the bottle into my friend's mouth. "And yes," she added, "he should be all right. A few more minutes out there and both of you probably would have lost your heads. People go mad in the Wood."

I nodded appreciation, still squeezing Gale's cheeks together as I craned my neck and she moved away again. "It was terrible. Everything bad that had ever happened in my life, secrets, and fears, they were all there again. Fresh pain, you understand?"

"I wouldn't know," she grunted, returning with another vial. "Never have heard the voices of the trees myself."

"What were you doing out there anyhow?" I inquired.

Out of nowhere, Coredilia's hand came up and across my face. I lost my hold on Gale and stumbled backward, my palms pressed against the wall for balance. Dumbstruck, I stared at her with large, grey eyes.

"What I do is none of your concern!" she shrieked.

I held up my hands in peace. "My apologies! I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Coredilia dipped her head and fed Gale a few drops of the vial. "Right."

His eyelids fluttered and the boy sighed in his sleep. Hope swelling in my chest, I dropped onto my knees by his head and cupped one side of his face. It was warm against my palm and I was tempted to lay my head down beside his. Instead, I buried my head in the crook of my arm and yawned until I thought my jaw might pop. Coredilia put her hands on my shoulders and carefully lifted me to my feet before leading me to another cot on the other side of the room. I exhaled loudly as I sunk into the cotton blankets and watched the dancing flames in the fireplace. Coredilia moved away and, even though it was the middle of the afternoon, I slipped into a restless sleep.

When I awoke, everything had changed; the room was bathed in a soft, half-light from the dying coals of the fire and outside was dark. Still asleep in the corner, Gale shifted in his cot. Other than the two of us, the house seemed dead, so I drew back the covers and tiptoed across the room.

A chill went through me as I reached Gale's bed, giving me the sudden realization that my cloak was gone. In a panic, I halted in my tracks and looked about. A heavy material lay across the floor in front of the fireplace and I went to it, identifying the form as my missing garment. Lifting it, I found that the thick fabric was damp, and to beat all, the hole I had torn into it was sewn as good as new. There was a gentle _swhoosh _as a curtain moved and I glanced towards the left-most door.

"I hope you don't mind that I washed it for you," the dark-haired girl said.

"Thank you," I whispered, draping the cloak back across the fireplace. "I'm Marley Frost, and that's Gale."

The girl smiled. "Tuesday; Coredilia's my half-sister."

"She's…_lovely_," I said carefully.

Tuesday giggled. "It's alright. She's not a very easy girl to get along with, and my mother hates her to the ends of the Earth."

I nodded, my gaze flitting to Gale for a moment. Tuesday pursed her lips and said a hesitant goodnight, offering her house for as long as Gale and I required. Then, she slipped away behind the curtain. I waited until she had gone, and then fetched a chair to the side of my friend's bed. He exhaled softly and I took one of his hands in mine. When the boy woke up, I would be there.

I stayed with Gale until he woke late the next morning, opening his eyes with: "I think I've died."

At this, I laughed and accidentally succeeded in rousing the entire house. The tree sisters were the first into the kitchen. Tuesday and her full-blooded sister, Agatha, sat with Gale and I while Coredilia prepared breakfast; flinging simultaneous insults into our conversations, most of which were retaliated by Agatha tenfold. I bit the inside of my cheek and shot a grin at Gale. He rolled his eyes as Tuesday's mother swept into the room, a ghost in the flesh if there is such a thing.

"Good morning, girls," she cooed, though her expression showed no signs of affection.

Agatha and Tuesday chorused a quick, "Good morning, Mother."

"Morning," Coredilia mumbled from the fireplace.

She dished out a few plates of eggs to her half-family, and then handed me a bowl for Gale and I to share from. I looked up at her through a few strands of brown hair, but she ignored me. Being the generous person that I am, I gave the bowl to Gale, who viciously devoured the eggs in about five seconds.

"So what brings you here?" the older woman asked, daintily dabbing at her lips with a golden-edged cloth.

My eyes locked onto the edging and I shook my head to clear it. "I'd rather not say…it's a tricky subject."

Agatha sniffed. "See, Mother, I told you there were a bunch of no good, dirty—"

"Really?" the mother cast her daughter a sharp glance. "Not even a hint?"

"We kidnapped the Prince," Gale said casually.

Agatha choked on an egg and Tuesday rushed to dislodge it. After sputtering for a few moments, the blond-haired girl regained her breath. "Mother!"

"Quiet!" she commanded.

The woman's icy voice sent shivers down my back and I glared at Gale. He shrugged sheepishly.

"What would you rather I tell them?"

I stomped on his foot, forgetting my prior manners. "Not _that_. We did return the Prince," I added to Agatha. "No harm came to him. It was just a…an adventure. We are in no trouble with the law."

"Well," Gale leaned into my ear and hissed, "at least I'm not, Masked Archer." Again, I crushed his toe beneath my heel.

This time I was rewarded by a grunt and flinch. Satisfied with my handy work, I folded my hands into my lap and tried to seem as courtly as I could, which was a challenge considering my upbringing.

"Coredilia, fetch me some water, will you?" the woman gestured towards the door.

"I brought in water last night!" Coredilia snapped. "Have Agatha do it."

Agatha put a hand to her chest. "You? I brought in the water. Mother," she whined, "Coredilia is lying again!"

Gale and I exchanged glances and I said, "We'll do it."

"…no good wench!" Coredilia was shouting.

Tuesday and Agatha rose to meet her, their faces red. "You take that back! If it weren't for us…"

"Go hang yourself!"

"…wish you would simply _SHUT UP_!"

"Don't start what you cannot finish!"

The trio's mother gave us quick directions and I bolted out of the house, Gale and a bucket trailing behind me. We walked all the way to the market square before their voices were completely inaudible. A well sat in the middle of the square, newly made with smooth, even stones.

"Where is everyone?" Gale indicated the abandoned streets and houses.

I went to the well and set the bucket at its edge. "It must be Sunday. Everyone's at the church."

I tied the handle of the bucket to the rope and lowered it. There was a quiet _splunk _as the container dipped beneath the water and Gale whistled.

"Already?"

"We're running out of days, and who knows what that munchkin will do to you if we don't meet his deadline." I retrieved the bucket with a grunt.

Gale looked back towards the house. "Not very religious folk, then, are they?"

I laughed. "I'm not sure they're allowed in the church will all of their hollering."

The boy started to laugh, but it quickly faded to a frown and he rubbed at his temple. I set the bucket on the ground, my expression filled with concern. I tried to help him sit down, but Gale shook his head and waved me away.

"I'm all right."

Raising an eyebrow, I frowned. "Are you?"

Ducking his head, Gale shrugged.

"_Gale_."

He still refused to meet my gaze. "It was like everything bad that had ever happened came rushing back. The day I met you…after your father found out and he…in the Woods, I could hear you screaming in my head. How much did you hear of…of my thoughts?"

"Not much that I recall," I assured him. "It was all so overwhelming, like listening to steel scraping against stone. I could barely make out any words."

Seeming relieved, Gale ran a hand through his hair. I passed him the water bucket and he drank, water dribbling down his chin. He wiped it away with his sleeve and handed the bucket back. Taking it, I sent it back down into the well.

"I did hear one thing that caught my attention…" I said slowly, pulling the bucket upward. "Something about your princess. You still haven't told me anything of her."

A blank look crossed Gale's face. "I…um…oh. She's no one you'd like to hear about."

Smiling, I hugged the refilled bucket. "Who are you to say what I'd like to hear and what I wouldn't?"

"Well you'll get nothing out of me!" the boy grinned. "That is except for this: you actually know her quite well."

With that, he turned and started back in the direction of the house. Mouth slightly agape and the corners turned up into a smile, I gave a breath of laughter.

"But Gale, I don't know any princesses!" my voice rang through the empty square. "Gale!"

He raised his hands over his head and waved them through the air. I would hear no more about his princess, but that was fine by me. Sighing happily, I scampered after him.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen**

Coredilia met us at the door and pushed passed, dressed in a neat-looking gown and bonnet. From the look on her face, I could see that she had lost some great war between her and her half-sisters. Inside, Agatha was pacing the kitchen while Tuesday sat on my cot.

"Just because this is her father's house!" Agatha scoffed. "I don't even believe that man's coming back."

Tuesday smiled patiently. "Now Aggie, you know better than to talk like—"

Agatha froze as she finally saw Gale and me. "They're back."

"Hello," Tuesday mused. "Coredilia stepped out of a moment; she decided to go to church."

I nodded and sat the bucket beside the door. "We have the water."

"Tuesday, take care of it," Agatha said.

Wrinkling her nose, Tuesday took the bucket and slipped away. Agatha scowled at us and turned to leave.

"I don't mean to pry—" I started.

"Then don't."

"—_but_," I continued, "where is the man of the estate?"

Agatha snorted. "Master Kinley left us about a year ago to 'conduct business' in another kingdom, leaving Coredilia as head of house. He hasn't even written us. By now he's probably remarried, again, to some young girl just out of the nursery."

"He hasn't even written?" I echoed, pulling my mother's red cloak tighter around me. I knew a story quite like this one.

"Marley," Gale put an arm about me.

I shrugged him off and rasped. "I'm fine, Gale."

The boy opened his mouth to speak, but I jerked away and went back outside, tears blurring my vision. This was not, however, before I caught the smug look in Agatha's eyes. Hot and angry tears slid down my cheeks and traced the contours of my face as I threw myself down just around the side of the house, leaning my head against the stone wall. A soft crunch told me Gale was walking towards me and I buried my head in my hands, my fingers tangling in my dark hair. I sensed more than saw my friend lower himself to the ground. Biting my bottom lip, I tucked my head between my knees and sobbed harder than I ever had. Gale rubbed his hand in gentle circles on my back and it took me a few seconds to gather myself and realize that this was something he had never done. My eyebrows drew together and I lifted my head. The boy paused, holding his hand a hair above my back. I opened my mouth, rethought, closed it, and lowered my head again. Gale gave a soft, amused snort and went back to soothing me. Sniffling, I wiped my nose and straightened. Sitting beside me, Gale pulled his legs up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, cocking his head like a pleading puppy.

"Go away," I tried.

My friend shook his head. "No."

"All right." I reached inside my collar and took out the compass, running my thumb over the smooth glass that protected the needle. "We need to find the other coins."

Sliding a little closer, Gale peered at the compass. "How many do we have?"

"Out of sixty? Nine."

I shook my head and wished to find the gold with every beat of my heart. The point quivered, spun a few times, and then stopped. Tipping my head to one side, I followed the path of the needle across the town and to the horizon; a gently sloping hill. And rising from the slope of that land was the most dazzling thing I had ever seen. It wasn't as large as the palace in my village, but the manor that was built into the hill was so beautiful against the blue sky that I took in a sharp breath.

"Wow," Gale breathed, sitting up a little straighter. "That's where the gold is?"

Eyes wide, I grinned. "I hope so. But how do we get there?"

Voices down the cobblestone road caught my attention and I stretched my neck to see around Gale. Crowds of people were appearing from every direction, laughing, and shouting, and talking as they milled about.

"We should go inside," Gale said.

I nodded and climbed to my feet. "Yes, we should."

So together, Gale and I ducked back into the house.

Late that afternoon, when the autumn air suddenly turned hot and sticky enough for me to discard my cloak and wear my hair off of my neck, our opportunity arose.

_Tha-thump. Tha-thump. Tha-thump._

It was a sound I would know anywhere, consider my previous occupation, and I moved towards the door as a heavy knock beat against the stone just outside it. Madam Kinley beat me to the door and drew aside the curtain with pursed lips.

"Can I help you, gentlemen?"

Tuesday, Agatha, Coredilia, and Gale materialized beside me, all of us trying to get a glimpse of the three men who were standing just outside the door. Only one had dismounted from his noble-looking stallion. He stood stiffly and looked straight ahead at Madam Kinley, his arm extended as he held out a folded piece of parchment with a wax seal pressed into it.

"What is it, Mother?" Agatha demanded, reaching around the woman and snatching the parcel from the richly dressed man. She opened it in a flourish and scanned the letter. "It's an invitation!"

Tuesday's eyes lit up as she read over her sister's shoulder. "To a ball!"

"The family of the Duke's most trusted employee, Master Rolph Kinley, is hence forth formally invited by the Duke himself to attend tomorrow's celebration at his manor. He will hand choose the maiden he finds most becoming and will marry her in the morning. There will also be a special guest from across the sea: a visiting prince," the man at the door announced, dipping his head. "Good day, Madams."

Madam Kinley smiled and closed the curtain, taking the invitation from her daughters' hands and tucking it away in her bodice. "Now girls, it's rude to speak of such things in front of our visitors."

"How so?" I asked.

She smirked. "Well of course, you shall not be going with us. Your…em…_history _with royalty is reason enough. Coredilia," the woman turned to her half-daughter, "you will remain here tomorrow to keep our guests company."

"To watch and make sure we don't steal anything you mean," I snorted.

"If you wish to say it that way, then yes," Madam Kinley sighed.

I glared at her, my temper rising. "Well let me tell you something Madam Wh—"

Gale clamped a hand over my mouth and dragged me to my cot, smiling kindly at the older woman. "We understand, Madam Kinley."

"This is unfair!" Coredilia protested. "Why can't Agatha? Or Tuesday?"

Madam Kinley raised a delicate eyebrow. "Why Coredilia, I had no idea you were so fond of such feminine things as gowns and dances."

"I'm not," Coredilia snapped. "It's simply the principle of the thing. That you expect me to just let you keep me here! This is my father's house and—"

"Your father is gone!" Madam Kinley screamed.

At the outburst, the kitchen went silent. Coredilia narrowed her eyes, her cheeks visibly burning with rage and anguish. She took a menacing step forward, jaw and fists clenched.

"I will stay," she murmured in a tone that was dangerously low. "But you are _not_ my mother, and my father _will _come back for me."

Without another word, the girl spun on her heels and marched into the other room, her footfalls echoing through the house. I stood with Gale's hand still over my mouth and pushed it away a shocked fraction at a time, unable to blink from astonishment. A deep respect for Coredilia blossomed somewhere inside of me and I almost broke into a second wave of tears. She still had the one thing that I had given up when my mother left. Hope.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen**

The next day and a half was spent with the three women who would be attending the ball crashing through the house in a frantic scramble. Tuesday stumbled into the kitchen with a mirror in one hand and a wooden brush in the other. Half of her dark locks made curling tower atop her head while the other half hung just passed her shoulders in a tangled mess. Her usually kind manner abandoned, Tuesday thrust her brush into my hand and ordered me to brush out the knots. I sat in a chair and she settled lightly on the floor, her rosy skirts spreading out around her like a cloud as I set to work.

Agatha marched into the room with Gale hurrying after her, holding the long train of her midnight blue gown as she waved her arms about. "This is a disaster! Mother, where are you? Mother!"

I giggled at Gale and he rolled his eyes. Madam Kinley appeared from the bedroom with an irritated _hmph_, her cheeks covered in blush and her lips outlined in a subtle red. The fine hair that framed her face lay in perfect whips over the shoulders of her large, black gown. Her eyes glinted as she looked from one daughter to the other.

"Where's Coredilia?"

No one seemed to know, or for that matter, care. After a quick sweep of the house, I found no trace of the girl and reported it to the family. But, as before, they were too caught up in the flurrying excitement of the ball to listen. After tightening two corsets—one of which I had to relace twice—curling, tugging and piling hair, lifting trains and fitting skirts, the threesome of women were bustling out the front door. A carriage waited outside for them with the most beautiful white horses I had ever seen. Feathered plums stuck up from the animal's foreheads; a decorative addition to their reins. The carriage itself was the color of ivory with a soft, dark blue trim. Gale and I stood in the doorway, staring as the trio piled into the carriage.

"We'll be back at midnight," Madam Kinley warned.

I shrugged. "You don't have anything to worry about."

"Let's hope not."

And with that, the carriage door slammed and they were gone.

An hour or so later, Coredilia returned to find Gale and I sprawled in front of the fireplace, raised on our elbows as we attempted our twentieth round of arm wrestling.

"…so how do we get into the manor?" I bit my lip and pushed against the young blacksmith's strength, my muscles screaming.

Gale shook his head. "There's bound to be some sort of guard, but it's only a ball. They won't lop off our heads for crashing a duke's party." His head perked up at the idea. "Will they?"

"I'm sure there's some sort of back garden," I said. "We could sneak in and…"

It wasn't until then that I noticed Coredilia slipping along the wall to her room. She had come in without a word, a silk bag slung over one of her shoulders as she tried to avoid our attention. Seeing her, I loosened my grip and winced as my hand slammed into the floorboards with a sickening _crack_. My mouth fell open in shock and I brought my fist to my lips, nursing the bleeding knuckles. Coredilia did not stop, but simply quickened her pace.

"Where have you been? I thought you didn't trust us here alone," I said and cradled my hand against my chest. "I…I'm sorry you couldn't go because of us."

Coredilia stopped in the doorway, holding the curtain aside with one hand as she turned towards us. "My stepmother cannot tell me what I can and cannot do. I'm going. I am going to marry the Duke and I am going to get out of this place."

I stared at her as if seeing her for the first time. "What about your father?"

"He's never coming back for me," Coredilia said flatly.

In her eyes, I saw the truth that she saw. It burned there as a vicious flame, eating away at her soul, and sending her only wish tumbling down into a vast, dark abyss. I had been to that place. To the darkest reaches of the Earth where no light shown and all I could think was that I did not deserve the pain of knowing that there was more than my ignorant bliss. That the people around me weren't the gods I had made them out to be. Not even my mother.

"Do you have anything to wear?" I asked softly.

A strange expression crossed Coredilia's face and she tossed her bundle to me. Rising to my knees, I caught it with a questioning look.

She gave a nod. "Open it."

My gaze returned to the bag and I pulled apart the lips that kept it closed. Inside were shimmering, velvety fabrics and I carefully removed one from its place. The cloth was much heavier than I had expected, and softer than even my red cloak. It was an unreal shade of ivory, unlike any I had ever seen; so white and pure and yet when the fabric swayed it glinted with flecks of silver and gold, the most gorgeous ripple of waves.

"It's beautiful."

Coredilia nodded. "There is another in the bag, along with a man's tunic."

I studied the golden flecks, an uneasy feeling settling in my stomach. "Who gave you these?"

"I don't know his name," Coredilia said defensively. "A _ridiculously _puny man pulled up beside me in a black carriage and asked why I wasn't going at the Duke's manor. He told me he knew you and asked if you were staying with us. I told him to leave, but he insisted that I take these."

Smoothing the gown out in my lap, I looked up at her. "Coredilia, did he say anything else about us?"

"He gave me a message for you," she began slowly. "The man said to tell you, 'Four days'."

My stomach lurched and my gaze slid to Gale, who sat with a pale face and wide eyes. He stared at me, unable to speak or move. The sour taste of bile rose in the back of my throat and I managed to choke out four words.

"He altered the contract."

With a slight jerk, Gale sent himself back into action. "I know. Come on, we need to get into that manor."

I handed the dress back to Coredilia, who snatched away the bag as the boy helped me to my feet. She clutched them to her chest and scowled.

"I didn't agree to take you along with me."

"We have to go," I insisted. "I'll fight you if I have to, but we are going. Gale and I need to leave just as much as you do. That man you met is after us, Coredilia and…just…we're going."

Coredilia grunted angrily and hurled the bag at my face. I caught it, spat out a mouthful of the silk cloth, and hugged it. "Fine," she said, and disappeared into the other room.

I took the tunic and leggings, both trimmed in Rumpelstiltskin's golden thread, and handed it to Gale. Then, turning around and covering my eyes with my hands, I waited until he was dressed before inspecting the second gown. This one was so incredibly contrary to Coredilia's and yet it was just as lovely. The skirts were full and light, made from a shimmering black material the color of midnight with slashes of deep green. I asked Gale to wait in the kitchen and slipped through the curtain leading to Coredilia's room, holding the dress carefully. The girl stood in front of a cracked mirror, holding her hair off her neck with a distressed puff of air. Her gown was draped over her body, turning her into a glowing figure of beauty.

"Do you want me to help you?" I inquired.

Coredilia jumped, her hair spilling back down her shoulders. "No."

I narrowed my eyes critically and circled around her. "It looks beautiful as it is."

"Really?"

"Really truly," I said. "Would you mind helping me into this?"

As I said it, I could feel my cheeks growing slightly warm. I hadn't the littlest of an idea of how to put on the dress, I had never even worn more than two skirts at a time. Reluctantly, Coredilia dressed me with a few sharp orders and uncomfortable tugging. Piece by piece, it came together. I refused, however, to even consider wearing the corset; there was no way in hell that that girl could make me break my ribs to seem a hair thinner. Once I was clothed and makeup was applied, Coredilia stepped away to examine her work with a frown.

"Well, I suppose it's better than what we started with."

I frowned. "I'm so glad that my face is no longer painful for you to look at."

Coredilia shrugged and I drew away from her, starting towards the curtain. She said my name, and I stopped.

"The day in the Woods," she said slowly, her eyes staring hard into mine. "I was visiting my mother's grave. She…my mother was a good woman."

I stared at her for a moment, not quite understand, but glad of her trust. "So was mine."


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen**

The manor was even more breathtaking up close. Sitting inside the crude carriage we had rented, I reached down and touched the dagger I had tied high onto my calf, just in case. We rolled up to the front steps and a lean man opened the door of the carriage, holding out a hand. I glanced at Coredilia over my shoulder, confused. She gave me a small nudge and I took the man's hand. He lifted my arm up as I stepped down with a faltering step, nearly crashing into him. I jerked my hand away, thanked him, and quickly moved off to the side. Gale hopped down from the driver's bench at the front of the carriage and handed the reins to a stable hand, who was waiting patiently for him. Flanked by Coredilia, we made our way up the marble steps and to the doors, which were also opened for us by a pair of well-dressed guards. I took an anxious step forward into the manor, my head spinning as a thousand smells and sounds suddenly assaulted me.

We found ourselves instantly at the center of the festivities, with hundreds of glamorous women and men mingling about the room as music blared from one corner of the vast space. Though tables of marvelous foods and drinks dotted the area, the majority of the people were on the dance floor, twirling and laughing. It wasn't as large as the palace had been, but it _was _impressive.

"I can't do this, Gale," I whispered as Coredilia pushed us forward.

Gale cupped my elbow in his hand and led me a little ways away. "You've been around more people than this before."

"But I've never…they're so rich, Gale. Everywhere I look there's gold," I choked out. The temptation was too much.

"Take a deep breath and try not to think about it."

I stared at him. "That's it? That's all the advice you have for me?"

He shrugged. "I'm not made of wisdom, Marley. Come on, we have to try to find those coins. Think about _that _gold."

"I can do that," I squeaked, focusing on the sensation of his hand on my skin. "I can do that."

"Let's hope so," Gale murmured; something that I probably was not supposed to hear.

Coredilia had vanished, which was expected, so we began to work our way among the crowds at the edge of the ballroom, searching for the coins or anything that might lead us to them. We passed through a group of courtly young women, one of which was barely holding the purse in her hand. I bumped into her as I went by, accidently knocking the purse to the floor.

"I'm so sorry!" I cried, stooping and sweeping up the accessory. Smiling, I handed it back to her.

"That's perfectly all right," the woman beamed back. "Enjoy the party."

I nodded numbly as Gale dragged me away, halting our pursuit a few steps away. Rolling my eyes, I held out my hand and he took the coin that glistened in my palm.

"You are such a nuisance," the boy sighed, striding over to the woman and holding out the coin to her. "I believe you dropped this."

Eyes narrowing slightly, a provocative smile spread across her lips. "Oh, _thank you_, sir. I don't believe we've been introduced. I am Lady –"

Tuning them out, I moved away from the crowds towards the refreshments, hoping that food would keep my mind off all of the glittering gold that surrounded me. Fountains of liquid flowed in a line along one of the tables and I filled a glass, sticking it under a waterfall of a clear, sweet-smelling drink. I twirled it in the glass for a moment before taking a sip, watching the nobles as they moved about over the rim. The sticky liquor touched my tongue and I coughed at the unfamiliar taste. It was nothing like the ale I was used to slipping from my father every now and again, and I discreetly spit the dink back into my glass. Seeing nowhere to put my drink, I dumped the whatever-it-was back into the fountain and placed the glass back on the table.

I turned and almost screamed as I found myself standing nose to collarbone with a man who had snuck up behind me. "I…uh…"

Sputtering nonsense, I took a hurried hop backwards. The man laughed, catching me by the elbow much as Gale had. He had a nice, easy smile that warmed his dark eyes and I found myself smiling back. The stranger was probably three years my elder, maybe more, but his age was difficult to determine with his youthfully wise face.

"My apologies," he said with another laugh, sweeping in a small bow.

I waved a hand. "No, no. It…it was my fault. I'm sorry."

"I would disagree," the young man grinned. "Therefore, I suppose we're even. And who might you be lovely maiden?"

Suddenly feeling uncomfortably warm, I laced my fingers together and glanced over my shoulder for Gale. There was something about the man's accent that drew me in and I wasn't about to lose myself. It took me a half of a second to find the boy among a group of adoring women, so I set my jaw and tried to act ladylike.

"Marley Elizabeth Frost, Milord."

He took my hand and kissed my bruised knuckles. I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from flinching away, but he must have seen the tight expression on my face, because he quickly pulled away.

"Would you care for a dance?" he asked with hopeful eyes.

I pursed my lips thoughtfully and slid another look in Gale's general direction. He was still amerced in a sea of giddy Ladies, so I said I would love to dance. The mysterious man led me out onto the ballroom floor as the band in the corner struck up a fast-paced and merry tune. I froze as two rows formed to take up the dance, suddenly realizing something very crucial: I had never danced a day in my life. However, before I could duck out of the crowd and to the edge of the room, a pair of girls slipped their arms around mine and dragged me back into the line of forming women. I opened my mouth to protest, but instead found myself stumbling forward as the dance began. My dance partner laughed when he saw me struggling and grabbed my hand, sending me into a dizzying spin. Near the end of the musical score and after knocking over several other dancing pairs, I think I finally had found the rhythm and was beginning to enjoy myself. It was not until the very end of the song, however, as the young man lowered me into a graceful dip, that I saw something that almost caused me to fall.

Over the man's shoulder, a wandering woman had caught my eye. She was much older than I was, with the same dark shade of hair that tumbled over my own shoulders. Her features were pretty and sharp, and her gown was made of fine, blue velvet. Through of that, I saw the one thing that everyone else probably overlooked; the way that she walked with slightly stooped shoulders and a hesitation in her step. She wore the clothes of a Lady, but she was not born one.

The young man's head was suddenly blocking my view of the woman and I wriggled a bit, trying to see around him with frustration. His face came closer to me, but I ignored him and jolted into standing position, nearly cracking heads with him as his lips brushed passed my cheek. It wasn't until later that night that I realized what his intent had been, but none of that mattered at that moment.

I was rewarded with a glimpse of the woman as she slipped through the crowd, making her way towards the main doors. Daring to hope, I started to run, gathering my skirts as I pushed my way towards her. Not ten people separated us when she came to an abrupt halt, her back to me as she turned to look back over a slender shoulder. Seeing her face, my breath caught in my throat and I choked back a sob.

_Mother._


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen**

Ana Maria Frost, my mother, looked at me with steady, pale green eyes. "Hello, there."

"Um…"

She smiled and I thought I might as well die right there. "I'm sorry, but you look familiar. Have we met before?"

With those words, my world shattered into shards of broken glass. I stared at her, sputtering "um" and "uh" while I tried to compose myself. But inside, the damage was already done.

_Holy mother…she doesn't…she doesn't know me, _the voice inside me wailed. _Yes, you idiot! I know you, but how could you forget about _me_?_

"Ana!" a call came from behind me.

A man shoved passed me as if I was not even there and I wrapped my arms around me in helpless attempt to hold my heart together. The man kissed my mother lightly and slipped an arm around her waist before turning to acknowledge my presences. He was the spitting opposite of my father: well toned, handsome, and blond. His features vaguely reminded me of Gale. My mother had succeeded in completely blocking out her past life.

"No," I said, surprising myself at how normal my voice sounded. "I don't believe we've met before. I'm Marley, Milady."

Ana Maria dipped her head to me, but I could tell she was troubled. "Marley? I have—once had a daughter named Marley. It's a beautiful name."

"Yes, it is," I told her.

"Well," she reached out and took my hands in hers.

They were warm and safe, the softest hands and I had ever felt. I had forgotten that feeling, unable to believe that I was actually holding my mother again. She was solid, she was real, and she was happy. The small part of me that had managed to be joyful that she had finally gotten the life she deserved died in that moment.

She was happy while I had been left to fend off my father on my own.

"I hope you enjoy yourself tonight," Ana Maria finished. "Are you here by yourself?"

Silently mourning, I nodded.

Ana Maria let my hands go and rested her head against the man's shoulder with a wink. "You never know, the Duke may just pick you tonight."

"Maybe," I muttered. "Excuse me."

"Of course," Ana Maria said, though it did not seem that she really heard what I had said. She was too busy staring wistfully into her new husband's eyes and giggling like a young schoolgirl.

I bit the inside of my cheek, gathered my skirt in my fists, and fled. Pushing passed lovers and dancing guests, single men and women, I burst out into the night air with a sobbing gasp.

The chill of the night air filled my lungs and I stumbled along a cobblestone path until I found myself standing before a vast, glittering fountain. I listened to the water rippling and fall against the stones, lowering myself onto the edge of the fountain as tears slid down my cheeks in a waterfall. I screamed at the sky, asking it why, a numb feeling settling over my heaving chest. My entire body shook as the air bit against my bare forearms and I doubled over, burying my head in my skirt. At that moment, I promised myself that nothing mattered.

No one could tell me that fairytales came true, and I came to a decision. I could live with the loneliness; I could make it on my own. I had lived for so long on a hope that had always been dead, and look where that had gotten me.

"Marley?"

At the sound of my name, I wiped away my tears and put on a straight face. That was how Gale found me. And as soon as I saw him trotting down the path, I knew that despite everything I had decided…I wasn't completely alone.

"I've been looking everywhere for you," he said. "Wait a minute, what's wrong?"

_Shoot, he knows_.

"What happened?" he demanded.

I turned my face away. "Nothing."

"_Marley_," he pinched my chin between his thumb and forefinger and turned me back to look at him. I swallowed.

"I saw my mother."

Gale stared at me with wide eyes. "But she…and…what?"

I gently pushed away his hand and said, "My mother's here. I…I talked to her. She didn't recognize me, Gale."

There was a long pause as he processed the news, chewing his bottom lip. He exhaled and I watched his breath form a small cloud in the cold air. After a few moments, he hugged me.

"I'm sorry, Marley."

Unsure of what else to say, we pulled a part and searched each other's faces. Then, he took my hand and led me back towards the manor. Before we reached the doors, however, I stopped him. I couldn't face what was inside. The music drifted softly through the door, beckoning to us.

"Will you dance with me?" he asked.

I shook my head. "You know I don't know how to dance."

Gale slipped his hand around my waist and took my other hand. "I'll teach you.

I shifted uncomfortably, wringing my hand in his.

"Relax," my friend pressed his hand firmly against the small of my back until I allowed myself to slowly lower my guard. "Good."

I looked up at his blue eyes. "I'm going to die of embarrassment. Have a good life without me."

"You'll love it," Gale said, taking a smooth step forward.

Following his lead, I stepped back and nearly tripped over my own heel. The boy held me up and continued with the dance. As the music's rhythm began to pulse through my body I smiled, and then gave a small laugh. My problems seemed to melt away with every passing second. Gale swooped me into a small dip, so I wrapped my arms around his neck. He brought me back up so that we were nose to nose.

"You still haven't told me anything about that princess of yours," I chided, searching for anything to help me forget about Ana Maria.

Gale pursed his lips for a moment. "She's stubborn, painfully blunt, and probably the most wonderful person I've ever met. Ever since I met her, she's been the most important thing in my life."

"Demanding," I observed, my skirts tickling my calves as I twirled away from Gale.

"A bit," Gale admitted as I began to spin back. "But I wouldn't change anything."

I raised my eyebrows. "Really?"

The boy's other hand slid through the crook of my arm and I found myself leaning back against his chest, my head resting lightly against his shoulder. "Really," he breathed.

My head was tilted just enough for me to look into Gale's face and I tensed. His eyes searched mine so intensely, so longingly, all of my instincts told me to run. But I couldn't. This was Gale, after all. I swallowed as he drew closer, my face flushing.

_So why are you not pulling away_? was all the input that my brain had to offer.

"Gale," I warned. And then our lips met.

His brushed softly against mine and I allowed myself a moment to take in the feeling before finally stepping away. An unwelcomed thrill shot through my body, urging me to get closer to him. We looked at each other for long while, standing together as the water of the fountain trickled quietly somewhere behind us. I shook my head, backing away slowly. This wasn't happening. It couldn't be…

"Marley," Gale said, confused and then sad. "Marley?"

Still shaking my head, I ran away for the second time that night, trying to outrun the floor that was crumbling beneath my feet. I ignored Gale's calls as I left him standing alone. To my disgust, he did not try to follow me as I rushed back into the crowds of the manor.

_Why must he be such a damned gentleman?_

I did not stop pushing my way through the masses of bodies until someone else called my name. The young man from earlier that night materialized at my side, linking arms with me. I let him lead me to the edge of the room, my nostrils flaring with frustration. Why could no one just let me _leave_?

"Marley, I have something to confess before the Duke—"

"Good evening!" a booming voice interrupted.

The ballroom quieted to silence and a plump, middle-aged man appeared on a stage near the front of the room. His head bopped above the others and I had to stand on my tiptoes to see him as he made his was across the stage to a pedestal hidden beneath a silky sheet. The Duke cleared his throat and gripped a handful of the cloth.

"I welcome you all, especially the lucky maiden, whoever she may be. But first," he swept a hand out into the crowd, pointing straight at the young man beside me. "I give you Prince Akeem, of the Eastern Realm across the sea."

A cheer rolled through the room in a roaring wave of voices and clapping. I stiffened, my head slowly turning to stare at Prince Akeem. Even with his dark complexion, I could see his cheeks burning a soft pink as I gawked at him. The applause died down with a wave from the Duke, but I was still in an unresponsive, shocked state of mind.

I raised my eyebrows. "_Really_?"

_Just perfect, _I thought. _Not only has my best friend gone and done something incredibly stupid, but also a _prince _from another _country_ is taken with me. And even worse, I think I'm taken with him as well. Could my life get any more complicated?_

In case you were wondering: yes. Yes it can.

"Now," the Duke called, "not only will one fine young woman become my wife, but as a proposal gift, she shall be rewarded with these fine prizes!"

The sheet snapped as it was torn away from the pedestal. I do not recall if I fainted at that point in the evening, but the next thing I knew, Prince Akeem was the only thing keeping me from falling. A pair of glass slippers filled with golden coins gleamed atop the pedestal, winking at me temptingly. _The _coins.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty**

"Are you all right?" Akeem looked closely at my face, his eyes filled with concern.

I began to reply that yes, I was, but suddenly Gale pushed his way through the crowd. Seeing me in Akeem's arms, the boy went stiff. I groaned and reluctantly pushed the prince away before smoothing my hair and adjusting my skirt. Gale strode up to me, his expression cold.

"Gale," I said, glancing back to the stage, "the coins—"

He nodded, his voice steady. "I see them. What should we do?"

"Cinderella!" the Duke bellowed, cutting our conversation short.

Gale and I exchanged puzzled glances and looked towards the stage. Coredilia was mounting the stage, beaming as she took the Duke's outstretched arm and tucked her hand lightly into the crook of his elbow. She smiled at the roomful of people, her gaze flitting to the slippers hungrily.

"Cinderella," he took the slippers and held them out, "will you marry me?"

She reached out with both hands and watched as he emptied Rumpelstiltskin's gold pieces into her hands. "Yes."

There were more cheers and a trickle of people made their way onto the stage, congratulating the new couple. Gale took my arm and I cast a helpless look at Akeem as he led me away.

"We _must _get those coins," Gale murmured.

Coredilia now stood with a foot outstretched, her skirt hem lifted just above the ankle as the Duke slipped one of the glass shoes over her heel. There was a disturbance in the crowd to my left and I caught a glimpse of Agatha shoving angrily through the throng of people. Her cheeks were the color of autumn apples, a sure sign of her jealousy. I tapped Gale's arm and he gave a solitary nod.

Smiling in her new slippers, Coredilia poured the coins into a small pouch, tucked them away, and threw her arms around her fiancé's neck. I glanced at Gale and swallowed guiltily, but his gaze was fixed on the couple. All that I could think was, _That could have been us._

A sudden _gong_ rang through the ballroom, and I found myself searching for the tolling bell. It was midnight. As she heard the bell, Coredilia's head perked, her eyes wide with a sudden panic. I follow her gaze into the thinning crowd to Madam Kinley. The woman stood perfectly still, watching as Coredilia broke away from the stage and darted for the main doors, the Duke calling after her. I grabbed Gale's hand and started after her.

We reached the doors first, bursting out into the night at the top of the manor's marble staircase. Bushes lined the stairs and I pushed Gale towards one side.

"What are you doing?" he snapped, stumbling down the steps.

I ignored him, dropping down and tearing at the hem of my gown. It ripped easily into a long strip of cloth, part of which I pressed in Gale's hand.

"Take one end and hold it slack for now, but whatever you do _don't let go_," I ordered.

Glancing back at the doors, Gale reluctantly ducked into a clump of shrubs. I took the other end and dove into the bushes across from him, the cloth stretching across the steps just as Coredilia came flying out of the doors. She clopped down the staircase, looking over her shoulder as if a pack of hungry wolves were after her. In reality, what was chasing her was far worse.

Agatha screamed as she ran out of the manor, her eyes seething. "_I'll kill you! He was supposed to choose me__!_"

"Well he didn't!" Coredilia shouted back, her slippered feet drawing her ever closer to the trip-cloth. "And you can—"

_Snap_. I pulled the makeshift rope taunt and Coredilia went tumbling down the last few steps, one of her glass shoes coming off in the process. Agatha caught up with her and I scrambled from the bushes, drawing my dagger before the elder sister strangled the younger.

"Touch her and you're as good as dead," I warned, moving passed a startled Agatha.

She literally growled, but with a quick flash from my blade, she closed her mouth. Coredilia struggled painfully into sitting position, blowing a piece of stray hair out of her face as she stared up at me. I pointed my dagger at her, though I had no intentions of using it.

"All right," I said, "give me the coins."

Coredilia's brow furrowed. "Why?"

I rolled my eyes. "I'm a highway robber and old habits die hard. Hand them here." The girl handed me the pouch and I quickly checked over the coins before I stuck the purse into my bodice. "You have my blessings for the wedding."

Feeling that Agatha might make good on her threat, I waited until Coredilia was on her feet before turning away from them. I mounted the steps to Coredilia's discarded slipper and picked it up. The glass was smooth and cool against my skin. The girls began yelling at each other again, moving away from the manor. I went to where I had left Gale hidden in the bushes and stopped.

Gale was gone.

Inside the manor, I weaved in and out of small cliques of women, searching for my missing friend. The Duke stood just below the stage with a small taskforce of guards, giving them frantic instructions to find his love. I squirmed through the ring of men, receiving distasteful looks until I held up the shoe.

"She's somewhere outside the manor," he said, taking the shoe from me and then turning to his men. "Go and find her!"

The party broke up and I snatched the Duke's sleeve. "Milord, her name isn't Cinderella, it's—"

"Unhand me!" he ordered, jerking free. "I have a bride to reclaim."

I watched him strode after the guards with a heavy sigh, wishing that the entire night would simply end. Nevertheless, fate insisted that Akeem made his grand reappearance at that moment.

"Marley."

Pursing my lips and inhaling deeply, I turned, preparing myself to destroy another person's wonderful evening. But when I saw the worried, anxious look on the prince's face, it was hard to stay firm. He studied my face intensely, but somehow, it did not bother me as it had with Gale.

"I thought you had left without saying goodbye," Akeem said with the sad smile of a concerned, love stricken boy.

I exhaled through my nose. "I pondered the idea. I'm sorry to be so dismissive, but have you seen—Gale!" The boy appeared and, hearing my call, hurried over.

"Do you have the gold?"

"Yes," I held out the pouch. "I don't know how many."

Gale took it from me and quickly counted. "There are still twenty-seven missing."

"That many?" I breathed, wrapping my arms around my shoulders.

Akeem rested a hand on mine. "If you are in need of money, Milady, I would gladly—"

"Oh hush up," Gale growled, passing the pouch back to me. "We should go."

Words danced on the tip of my tongue, but before I could even get out the first syllable of a word, Akeem stepped in. He brought himself up to full height, locking eyes with Gale and towering above him.

"The Lady shall go when she decides to leave."

Gale's eyebrows rose sharply and I suddenly found myself between the two, a hand on each of their chests to keep them apart. Giving each a scolding glare, I slowly lowered my hands. Akeem fidgeted with his skirt, and I could tell that both were unhappy that I had ended their tussle before it had begun.

I raised a finger, taking the time to stare at each of them with icy, grey eyes. "Listen now and listen well. I make my own choices, and no man is ever going to order me about again for as long as I'm still breathing. And if you two _fine _gentlemen cannot behave like civilized people, I may just decide to take my gold and run off on the both of you. Am I clear?"

There was a long moment of silence between my suitors, but finally, Gale gave in, his entire body visibly relaxing. Satisfied, I nodded and linked arms with him, suddenly aware that my bare legs were freezing and that I had left my cloak at the Kinley's abode. Turning as one in a fluid motion, Gale and I started towards the doors.

"Marley, wait!" Akeem trotted along behind us, grabbing my forearm and spinning me back around.

I jolted to a stop, a lump forming in my throat. No matter how much I owed Gale, how much I needed him, there was a part of me that was drawn back to the prince.

"Marry me," he blurted.

I almost laughed at the insanity of it all. Gale went rigid as I slipped out of his grasp and stood before Akeem, looking into his handsome, perfect face.

The young man took both of my hands in his. "I know we've only just met, but you would be happy and…"

"I would be rich," I finished, an entirely new world of opportunities spreading out before me.

At those words, Gale seemed to know that my will power was failing. Before me stood a good, handsome prince offering me all the gold that my obsession could ever crave. Moreover, the possibility of true love. I could feel myself drowning in Akeem's beautiful eyes, looking so vulnerable, as he squeezed my fingers. He could be my answer, my protection from my father, and from poverty. How could I possibly say…

"No."

Akeem frowned as I pulled my hands away. "No?" he echoed.

"No?" Gale's voice was high, relieved, yet utterly confounded.

"No," I repeated, probably even more shocked at my answer than they were. I waited for a moment, feeling how the words tasted in my mouth. There was only a slight bitterness.

The prince waited, but I had nothing more to say unless he expected me to repeat myself a third time. He blinked at me, his long eyelashes making him look like small child for just an instant. Never I my life have I ever felt such an intense feeling of being examined and exposed as I did when Akeem looked at me, but it wasn't as bad of a sensation as I had thought it would be. It was a comfort to know that—even if it was only for a moment—there was one person in the world who devoted me every bit of their being. To know for them, life grew solely around me.

"At least allow me to take you home."

Gale and I said nothing, but instead allowed Akeem to slip around us. We followed him out of the manor and to his carriage, which, for that of a prince, was disappointingly ordinary. He offered me his hand. I declined and our party climbed into the carriage. I settled myself across from the young men, feeling that I deserved some sort of personal space after all that had happened. They did not make eye contact the entire journey; Gale staring out the window while Akeem watched at my intently. Shifting uncomfortably, I followed my friend's example. The Kinley's home rose from the darkness, and the carriage stopped.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter Twenty-One**

"Thank you, Akeem," I said as Gale and I exited the carriage.

I held the young man's gaze for a few, meaningful moments, and he smiled grimly. Gale had already retreated into the house to fetch our few belongings. After the encounter with Agatha and Coredilia, we would not be staying another night.

Leaning across the cushions that decorated the inside of the carriage, Akeem reached out and gently titled my chin. A flush went through my entire body and I discreetly turned my head, his kiss warm against my cheek.

He pulled away, but only enough to see me clearly. "I hope we meet again, Marley Elizabeth Frost."

"It strange…" I said softly. "I do too." And I meant it.

Akeem gave a nod. "Last chance. Come with me?"

I took a step back, placing a hand on my hip.

Shrugging, he smiled again. "A fellow can try."

The door of the carriage swung shut and I moved slowly away, counting each step as the coachman urged the horses forward. I stared wistfully after the retreating form as it and its occupants rode back towards the manor. The life I could have had flashed before my eyes: the gorgeous gowns, mountains of gold, long nights spent beside a warm fire, adoring crowds calling my name.

_God save the Queen! God save Queen M—_

"—arley."

I gave a start as my bow, and arrows were pushed against my chest in a jumble. Gale let go and I lowered my bow and quiver, tilting them against my knee. I clasped my cloak and then swung my weapons over my shoulder before pulling an extra pair of Gale's leggings on underneath my tattered dress. Reaching around me with the compass, Gale fastened the trinket so that it nestled in my collarbone. The tarnished, coppery metal was cool against my skin and I sighed, craning my neck to see the boy over my shoulder.

"Which way?" he asked, his eyes shining in the dark.

Quickly consulting the compass, I pointed southwest. "That way, but we'll need horses."

"All right, Masked Archer," Gale grinned. "Work your magic."

We crouched beside a road that wound through the hills just outside of the town, huddled together beneath my mother's cloak. The wind sent a chill down the back of my neck to my tailbone and I pressed closer to Gale, trying to forget that he was in love with me. Or at least, he though he was.

_Tha-thump. Tha-thump. Tha-thump. _The sound of rolling wagon wheels accompanied that of a horse's gallop and I tensed. I had held up hundreds of carriages, but never without the safety of my mask. Taking a reassuring breath, I bent over my bow and already nocked arrow, which lay in the tall grass parallel to my feet. I slowly took it up and rose to my feet, steadying myself with a firm hand on Gale's shoulder. The cloak slid over his body, tickling his chin as it followed my stealthy approach to the roadside. As always, the boy stayed back.

I stepped into the unsuspecting traveler's path and raised the bow, drawing the string not quite back to the corner of my mouth. If things went smoothly, a release wouldn't be needed.

A sudden disturbance in the air and a gentle _swoosh _was the only warning I had as I turned in confusion, the bolt of a crossbow slicing across my cheek. I gasped, nearly dropping my bow as I put a hand to my cheek. Warm blood came away, slick, on my fingertips and I stared at the carriage as it drew closer. A small lantern illuminated either side of the coachman's bench, revealing not only the face of the driver, but also that of the large man beside him, who was already reloading his crossbow.

"Halt!" I demanded, raising my weapon again as my shock passed.

The bowman lifted the crossbow a second time, not bothering to aim before flicking the release. I let my own arrow fly on impulse and was rewarded with the man's scream as the tip burrowed into the fleshy part of his calf. The carriage lurched to a stop and I sighed inwardly, not caring that I may have crippled the man for life. Striding forward, I wriggled my nose, trying to get used to the tight, but not entirely painful sensation that came from my new injury.

"I really wouldn't have done that if I were you," I told the bowman, smashing the crossbow to the ground. "Don't. Move."

They obliged to my forceful request as I slung my bow over my shoulder and withdrew my dagger, sawing away at the horses' reins as the animals pranced nervously. Inside the carriage, I could hear the occupants cursing and shouting, asking the coachman why they had stopped. There was a click as the door began to open and the thick arm of a man emerged. I paused in my work long enough to slam the door shut with my heel, nearly catching the man's fingers as he hastily pulled his arm back inside.

Wind swept across the road, filling my hood and causing it to slid back from my face. I shuttered at the cold and sheathed my knife.

"You're only a girl," the bowman said gruffly, his voice thick from pain.

I scowled. "And you will only be dead if you don't do as I say. You still have two horses remaining, so count your blessings."

Leaving the carriage and its passengers to their own accord, I threw away whatever extra, unnecessary leather straps were still attached to the two horses and swung onto one's back. I grimaced, suddenly wishing that I had a soft saddle to sit in. Nevertheless, I urged the horses forward with a swift kick and rode into the tall grass where Gale was waiting for me. He shot up from his hiding place and leaped onto the horse as we rode passed, twisting his hands into its dark mane and letting out a whoop of mockery for the poor saps whom we left sitting in the dark on a solitary road. Then, turning, we followed the direction of the compass, galloping over the crest of the hill and across the plane beyond.

We rode for two days without speaking. Images of _that night_ constantly flashed through my mind; my mother's smile, Akeem's pleading eyes. But none of the images could compare to the ghosts of smells and sensations that haunted my face, my lips, and my absent heart.

Our journey took us through a field of crippled dandelions, our horses' hooves kicking up the downy, white seeds that remained of the yellow petals. The small seeds floated around us like small spirits finally set free in a sea of white. One drifted passed me and I reached out a hand, the fluff brushing against my palm, a bittersweet kiss goodbye, before being swept away on the wind. We cantered on, the long, silent days stretching across crisp, autumn earth and a few simultaneous clusters of trees. Eating what little we could rummage from the isolated farms we passed by, we didn't stop to rest until the sun had set on the second day.

I left Gale and the horses behind a small dip in the hills and crept on foot to the back of a farmer's stable, weaving in and out of the corn stalks that had yet to be harvested. I broke off several husks and tucked them into a fold in my skirt. Inside the stable, I found some wood that had been gathered for the coming winter, along with a tinderbox and flint. Taking some of each, I made my way back to the crude camp.

The fire was the smallest, but somehow biggest comfort I had had in days and I nestled close to it, lying on my side, and petting my mother's cloak with my fingertips. Gale huddled into himself a few feet away, staring at the dancing flames. I blinked back tears as I thought of my mother, wearing this cloak as I wore it now. Gritting my teeth, I shook my head and lowered it into the grass.

"Marley," Gale murmured. "Are you still awake?"

I thought of not answering. We hadn't slept in what felt like eternity, and my tailbone hurt from riding bareback, but I knew this was Gale's attempt at rekindling our friendship.

"Mm," was all I could muster.

The boy rubbed his thy, trying to stay warm. "I'm not going to say I'm sorry about what I did, but it may be better if we just…pretend nothing was ever wrong between us?"

"Do you love me?" I asked.

"Yes."

I sighed. "You can try, but you won't forget."

"I am sorry about your mother, Marley."

Pursing my lips, I swallowed. _Me too, Gale. Me too._

"We only have two days left," I murmured to the empty air.

"Don't worry," Gale said. "We'll make it work."

Suddenly, lying alone on the hard ground was unbearable. It felt as if I was falling through nothingness, and the hole that stretched inside of me would never be filled. I sat up and crawled over to where Gale sat, his arms wrapped around his knees. As I reached him, he stretched his legs and opened his arms to include me. I curled up beside him, my head in his lap and my cloak enclosing both of us in a warm mass as he ran a few fingers through my hair. The rational part of me told me to demand that he stop, but the larger portion of me simply needed the physical contact of another person, so I closed my eyes and kept my mouth shut. He hand slid over my shoulder and tucked itself under my chin, warm and strong. I inhaled deeply, remembering a time when a hug had seemed like some sort of breech of the code of our friendship. The thought faded away just as quickly as it had come, and I allowed the welcoming release of sleep to wash of my exhausted body.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

My hips swayed as they moved in time with the slow trot of my horse, which I had come to call Flight. He whickered and tossed his brown head, having a private conversation with his counterpart, Rumpelstiltskin II. A small grove of trees surrounded us, dappled sunlight filtering through the slim branches that reached down like Madam Kinley's boney fingers. I tried to imagine what was happening back in that town, the town where Coredilia was to be married and where Agatha may or may not be trying to make good on her threats. I wondered if the Duke had found his 'Cinderella'. What Akeem was might have been doing at that moment. Was he already on his way back home, across the sea? Had he already forgotten about the girl who he had lost to a blacksmith's son who she did not love?

"If we travel much farther, we'll be at the edge of the kingdom," Gale's matter-of-fact comment broke into my daydreams.

I raised my eyebrows. "Since when were you so keen on geography?"

"The air is getting cooler," Gale shrugged. "We're nearing the ocean."

Now that he said something, I thought I could feel just a bit more of a nip to the wind than usual as the branches above us creaked and groaned. Flight snorted and halted abruptly, prancing in place and nearly sending me over his head. I clung to his neck, his mane tickling my nose. Gale stopped as well and frowned.

"What's wrong with him?"

I shook my head as the animal tossed its head again. "I haven't the slightest idea."

_Crack_.

"Did you hear that?" I straightened and glanced over my shoulder, a blur of motion moving on the edge of my vision. There was nothing but a clump of trembling undergrowth. "And I swore I saw something."

Gale rolled his eyes. "Every time you say that, we end up regretting running into whatever we find. Leave well enough alone."

"Leave then," I threw back at him, sliding from Flight's back.

Sighing, Gale dropped to the ground. I did not wait for him, making my way cautiously towards the thin brush. A crow called overhead and I shuttered, its voice slicing through my hearing until I thought my ears might bleed. _Crack_.

I spun just as Whyte slammed into my ribs, knocking me to the ground and forcing the air from my lungs in a choked scream. Gale darted forward, tearing the crazed woman away from me as her hands clapped around my throat. I went with her in a tangle of arms and legs. Something cold and sharp snagged across my shoulder and I flinched, pushing away from Whyte with all of my strength. Clutching my shoulder, I felt the slick presence of blood, giving Whyte a stunned glare. She was on her feet again, legs spread and crouched low, as if ready take off sprinting at any moment. Her chest heaved as she took in rasping breaths, eyes flitting from Gale to me. Licking her cracked lips, she gave the snarl of a wild animal. Strapped to either of her hips was a sword of various sizes, both somewhat longer than the one she gripped in her hand. Gale stood just behind me, my fallen bow and arrows strewn beside his feet.

"Thought you had rid yourself of me, hadn't you, witch?" she cackled, her fingers lifting one at a time and then settling back of the hilt of her short sword.

I drew in breath through my nose, the inside of my throat swallowed shut so that no words would come out. Not that I had anything to say to her anyhow. Gale took a step forward, the tiniest movement that set off a major sequence of reactions.

Whyte lunged at me with a spinning blade and I ducked around her, brushing passed her leg and tearing one of the swords from her belt. I rolled onto my feet in a fluid motion and drew back my upper lip. I had had enough of this lunatic. She flung herself at me, her sword coming down over her head and I clumsily deflected her blow, turning to the side to hold her blade above mine. Our eyes met and a sinking feeling tugged at the bottom of my stomach. Her pupils were pinpricks of black against tiny irises, both of which shone with a glassy, wild sheen against the whites of her eyes. I cringed as our blades suddenly broke free of the X they had forced, steel screeching as the edges ran along each other. Grunting, I struggled against Whyte as she forced the tip of my blade to the ground with a _thud_. She grinned wickedly and I stared at my hands, pinned to the hilt by the flat of Whyte's sword. One stroke and my hands could be completely severed from the wrists.

"Rah!" Gale crashed into the young woman's side, knocking her to the ground.

She drew back her upper lip and gave a sharp bark as she tumbled, fighting Gale for her short sword. "Demons!"

They grappled on the ground as I took a moment to catch my breath before throwing myself forward. The boy jerked Whyte's sword away just as she kicked out with her legs, catching him in the gut and sending him sprawling. She rolled to her feet, drawing her remaining weapon with bared teeth. I swung at her with every muscle in my body. Whyte sidestepped and blocked my sword easily. Something drew my attention away from her, some sort of sound on the edge of hearing, and I staggered, her blade grazing my side. Gale was suddenly beside me, dragging me away as the sound grew louder, fiercer. The snarl was fierce, and it was not Whyte.

Pacing among the trees was a large wolf, his human eyes narrowed as his red tongue slid across his jaw. A long, pink scar ran across its front shoulder, bare of all fur. I averted my gaze, watching the wolf-man from the corner of my eye. It howled and sprang forward, barreling Whyte sideways. She screamed as they went down in a mass of fur and teeth. A few yards away, the horses shrieked in panic, dancing away from the fighting.

I pulled free of Gale and hacked at the wolf-man's exposed spine, his claws racking across Whyte's back. His mouth snapped at me, forcing me to make a quick retreat. Before I was out of reach, the monster's claws lashed out, splitting the ends of my hair. A lock dropped into my hand, but I quickly tossed it away. Whyte threw the beast aside and leaped to her feet, whirling on me. Surprised, I dodged her sword and Gale ducked between us, chasing the wolf. In a blur of grey and brown, the animal became man, his bare chest absorbing the last of his fur before lunging for Gale. The boy swiped at him with the short sword, but the wolf-man was quicker. He knocked Gale's weapon away, his face stretching into the snout of a carnivore as he grabbed Gale by the neck, bringing him closer the monster's growing fangs.

Gritting my teeth, I twisted away from my battle with Whyte and thrust my sword into the wolf-man. He threw his face towards the treetops and howled, his thin spine popping as his back arched. Everything seemed to stand still as black mist seeped from his wound. The creature convulsed, foam seeping from its mouth. The cloud thickened, swirling around us. With one final, unearthly wail, the wolf-man exploded from his center, inky blackness swooping through the woods. I instinctively shut my eyes, the mist burning like acid as it brushed against my skin.

Someone grabbed my shoulders, coughing and leading me to Flight. I heard Whyte shriek and opened my eyes to slits. The darkness was beginning to subside, the thickest of it surrounding Whyte where she knelt in the grass, hands covering her eyes. I shoved my sword into my belt, groping for Flight's mane and scrambling onto his back as he finally bolted, not waiting for me to find my balance. Gale and Rumpelstiltskin II were at my heels, streaking through the trees with eyes half closed.

When we felt it was a safe distance, we slowed to a gallop, breaking out of the trees and back into a rocky plain. The wind plucked at my cloak and strands of my hair, chilly, crisp, and salty. I scrubbed at my face absently with my hands, trying to rid myself of the tingling that spread through my skin.

"Are you hurt?"

I shook my head, taking shaky breaths as I looked myself over. The cut on my side was long, but it wasn't deep, and my shoulder injury was already clotted with dried blood. "I'm all right. You?"

"Fine," Gale rasped, pressing a torn piece of his shirt against his bleeding forehead. "What the hell was that?"

"I don't know," I shook my head again. "Should we go back for Whyte?"

The boy dabbed at his hairline. "No. I wish we could…but no."

I gave a brisk nod, looking around. "Gale…"

"What?"

"Look," I pointed my chin at the horizon before us.

The grey, stony landscape gave way to a wide cliff, and beyond the sharply dropping edge, was the ocean. White capped waves plunged forward and the water sparkled as the sunlight hit its blue-green surface, the orange and yellow orb resting on the edge of the horizon. Bobbing gently in water was the small speck of a ship, its dark, unreadable flags flapping in the wind. Standing out against the natural beauty of the ocean was a jutting tower, its dark spire reaching towards the sky and a swooping arc reaching out from round walls. The stone arch served as a gateway to the vast, colorful garden beyond; the hues of the plants vivid even in the late autumn.

I bit my lip and glanced at the compass. Its point trembled, a straight shot towards the captivating structure.

"Well?" Gale eyed me, his expression stern.

A small smile spread across my lips. "We've already gotten what we needed from two girls." I held back a laugh of relief. "This is it, Gale. This is it."

He grinned at me. "This is it." His eyebrows rose. "Are you ready?"

I drew my sword and held the flat awkwardly against the back of my neck. I gripped a handful of my jagged hair and briskly ran the blade across the strands, letting the dark waves fall down my back and shoulders. Gale watched me intently, his eyes curious. I cut until it was a somewhat-even line at the nape of my neck, and then sheathed my sword.

"Now, I'm ready."

Dipping his head, Gale urged his horse forward and we rode down the hill.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

The compass needle spun wildly on its axis as we slowed to a stop before the towering stone walls. I turned my face upward, following the rough bricks to its point, which prodded the clouds. Gale stood beside Rum II, stroking his shiny coat, and then finishing with a pat as I hopped down from my perch.

"Do you see a door?" Gale asked, leaning to one side as he balanced on the tips of his toes and peered around the bend.

I shrugged and he accompanied me around the tower, looking for some sort of entrance. We strode through the stone arc and into the garden. The flowers were beautiful shades of reds and yellows, the colors of autumn yet vivid, healthy flowers. A few bushels of herbs and spices sprouted from the soil and I bent down, running my fingers over the leafy edges of a bed of rapunzel.

"That's odd," I said, planting my hands on my hips and staring upward. "Look, there's a window." I pointed with one hand.

Gale joined me, bending backward. "It looks like it's the only way in."

"Who would forget to build in the door?" I scoffed, shaking my head.

Stilling looking at the window, the boy took a subconscious step away from the tower.

"Gale!" He stumbled forward as I grabbed his arm, yanking him from the herb bed. "You're in the rapunzel."

As his feet scuffled through the plant, a heavy, musty scent filled the air, mixed with another, sweeter smell. Gale wrinkled his nose and sneezed. Startled by the noise, I heard the horses scream and suddenly found myself watching their flanks darting away from the tower and disappearing over a hill. The usually pieces of meat could withstand the presences of a wolf, but blow your nose and they had an aneurism. I began to roll my eyes but stopped as a second sound followed the deserters, a soft rustling from the field behind us. Ducking behind the arc, Gale and I huddled together, peeking around the stone swoop. A gnarled form shambled across the rocky ground, a large robe flowing around him and hiding his face. Drawing, closer, I saw that it wasn't a man, but an old, wrinkled creature that might once have been a young woman.

Creamy, folded skin and a crooked nose stuck out from beneath the garment, and beady eyes twinkled. The hag teetered nearer, moving swiftly for one with such as jerking, limping stride. I put my hand on the small of Gale's back, pressing him to move as she started through the stone arc and into the garden. We crept carefully around the structure and the bundle of dust and bones passed none the wiser.

She went to the window and threw back her head, the hood of her robes sliding down from her head to reveal thinning, black-silver hair. Her shriveled lips parted and she gave what I thought may have been a cruel smile.

"Rapunzel, rapunzel, let down your hair!" the old woman crowed, her voice harsh and wicked.

I drew my eyebrows together and glanced questioningly at Gale. He looked straight ahead, watching the woman with an impassive expression. There was a soft _swish_ and a large, dark silhouette snaked its way rapidly down the side of the tower. It fell, reaching for the earth in a flash of gold-crimson rope.

_No_, I realized. _Not rope…hair._

It was a long, silky braid, stretching from the tower window to a row of rose bushes. The end swayed back and forth gently, brushing the top of the flowers.

The hag jolted forward in sudden motion and weaved her gnarled fingers into the coil of hair, pulling herself upward with a strength that far surpassed her age. I turned away as she began to climb, plopping down on the ground with my back against the stone. Gale's eyes linger on the scene before him for a few more seconds, but then he joined me on the rocky terrain.

"Not quite what I was expecting," he said.

I gave him a condescending glare. Shrugging an apologetic shoulder, he gave a half-smile. For a time, we simply sat, me twirling a piece of hair around one finger, and Gale looking at the surrounding area like a newly born puppy, eyes darting back and forth.

"The gold is inside the tower. It has to be." I broke the silence, letting my dark lock fall into place with the others.

Gale nodded. "We'll wait for the old woman to leave then."

"'Rapunzel, rapunzel, let down your hair'," I mused. "There is no way that we can climb that high on a _braid_."

"It's the only way inside," Gale said ever so helpfully.

I exhaled slowly through my nose, trying to think. It was suddenly becoming difficult to focus, something on the edge of my subconscious continuously leading me away from my train of thought. Starting off as a barely inaudible hum, the distraction grew more frank as my hearing finally tuned into the eerie melody.

"Marley, do you—"

"Shush," I hissed.

The melody became a hauntingly beautiful voice, then a string of gentle words, and then a song. I poked my head around the side of the garden's entrance, following the music to the window, where the last bit of silky braid disappeared inside.

"It's the girl," I muttered. "She's singing."

Gale stared at the window, his mouth slightly open and blue eyes wide. I nudged his shoulder with no avail. He was transfixed in place.

This time, I snapped my fingers. "Gale."

Nothing.

"Gale Woodems."

I cupped his cheeks in my hands and turned his head to face me. "_Hey_."

The boy blinked, his body jolting as if woken from a bad dream. He looked at me as if I were a stranger, realization slowly spreading across his face until his cheeks were burning pink.

"Men," I muttered releasing him and sitting back.

Gale's gaze drifted back towards the tower, but I could see he was visibly fighting to keep his focus on my face.

I could feel the tug of the melody too, something inside of me telling me to listen to the words and do what their owner asked of me. It wasn't hard for me to block out the sounds. My will was tied to finding the coins, not some girl. The gold was what called to me. Gale clutched his fists until his knuckles were white and the girl in the tower continued to sing.

"_Gather 'round, all come to me_

_The name of Rapunzel, answer to thee._

_I have waited long_

_In my deep despair_

_Answer to Rapunzel's song_

_Prisoner kept hidden in a world of stone_

_Slay death, break free, make my voice your own..."_

It went on for a few more cords, her voice silvery liquid woven into the air. When the melody ended, Gale's body slumped into a more relaxed state and he smiled wildly.

"I think I'm in love, Marley."

I stared at him. "Brilliant; good to know I'm so replaceable."

The withered woman who had entered the tower didn't leave until the sun had set and the world had plunged into shades of silver, grey, and black. She slid down the rope of golden-crimson and then shambled off, back towards the way she had come. Almost instantly, the twist of hair began to drag itself back to the window, and I pushed on Gale's shoulder. He opened one eye lazily.

"Come on," I whispered.

We stepped quietly among the silhouettes of the plants, creeping up to the tower as the breeze coming off the ocean rustled the leaves. The temperature had dropped tremendously and I huddled close to myself, holding my cloak close and wishing I had one to give to Gale. He stood beside me, shivering. Above us, a gargoyle's statue glared down from its perch on the roof, its marble eyes winking impishly in the moonlight. I raised my eyebrows at Gale, but his only reply was a tiny, chilled nod.

"Rapunzel, rapunzel, let down your hair!" I called up as quietly as I could, glancing beyond the stone arc of the garden to be sure that the hag really had gone.

There was a long pause. The air stood still and I could sense the hesitation of the girl above us, but after a moment, a soft rustling signaled the arrival of her hair. I took the end and gave it a testing tug, hoping that I wasn't tearing the poor thing's scalp. There was no scream at the gesture, so I twisted my hands into the coil and waited as Gale linked his fingers into a stirrup for my foot. I stepped into his hand, clinging to the hair-rope as he hefted me upward. Using his momentum, I swung and squished the soles of my boots against the stone wall. Then, I began to climb. About fifteen feet up, I stopped. Something small and round was digging into my palm and I readjusted my hands so I could see it. A small, gold coin glinted. My heart leaped into my throat and I pulled Rumpelstiltskin's coin free. Grinning, I tucked it away; looking up at the hair I had left to scale. Every now and then, something gold would twinkle, and I almost laughed. This was going to be easier than I had thought.

After what felt like centuries later, I threw myself across the window ledge, arms shrieking in pain as they tightened and cramped under my skin.

_Never again_, I promised the tortured limbs. _Never again, _ever_. _

Gale had opted for staying on the ground in case the old woman came back, but now I knew that he had simply known that it would be impossible to climb a braid of hair that could probably wrap around the world twice and still have enough strands left over to make some sort of scarf. I had taken so many breaks in the ascend, but nothing had helped to relax my stiff muscles. The only thing that had kept me from climbing back down was knowing that if I slipped, my pain would come to an end a little _too_ quickly.

I slid off the windowsill and into the tower, crumpling into a ball on the floor and closing my eyes. Nothing would have made me happier than to simply drift off into a blissful sleep, a dark, warm blanket that would protect me from the world. But of course, nothing is ever that simple.

Something shuffled towards me and I mumbled, trying to pry my eyes open. Too late, it seemed, because suddenly I felt a dizzying pain in my head as something cold and solid _crack_ed against my skull. I gasped and bolted upright, drawing my dagger and poking it through the front of my cloak.

Standing over me, feet spread apart as she stood in her nightgown, was a girl of about twelve years. She stared down at me with round, blue eyes, brighter than Gale's. Her braided hair coiled down her back and across the floor, swishing like as tail as she shifted from foot to slippered foot. In one hand, she held a cracked mirror.

I stared up at her, gingerly prodding the back of my head for the soft spot she had no doubt given me. Rapunzel blinked unnaturally quickly, her eyelashes fluttering like little, golden wings.

"W-what are you d-doing here?" she stammered, bringing the mirror back for a second blow.

I held up a hand as she swung down, catching her hand and yanking the mirror from her grasped. She squealed and I threw the thing aside.

"Hit me one more time and I swear I'll throw you out that window."

As I moaned and looked around, I saw that the inside of the tower was spacious, formed from one circular wall of stone. A large, four-post bed was the center of the room, surrounded by trunks filled with clothes and items of food. Off to one side, a hole in the floor disappeared down into a marble staircase.

"Y-your not Mistress Victoria," Rapunzel said, a few stray strands of hair falling across her eyes.

I smirked, reaching inside my cloak. "No kidding."

There was a charming _clink_ as Rumpelstiltskin's coins knocked gently together and I spread them across my palm. Inside, I counted twenty-seven pieces of gold. A smile turned up the corner of my mouth and I imaged them grinning back, finally back where they belonged.

Rapunzel looked at me with her large, watery, doe-eyes as I slipped the coins inside my cloak. I stared back, shifting so that I was sitting upright, my back pressed against the windowsill for support. Stepping back, she clasped her hands behind her back and waited for a reaction, tipping her head with curious caution. I slowly rose to my feet, my hand sliding along the stone as I began to back out the window.

"Where are you going?" the girl asked.

I froze, and said, "I'm leaving."

"You can't leave," Rapunzel protested. "You have my gold."

"Yes," I dipped my head, "but now it's mine."

Rapunzel bit her lip and guilt began to claw its way to the surface of my heart. She was so young and vulnerable, and who knew how long she'd been inside this tower? I shook the thought away and moved to grab a coil of her silky hair.

"Are you a prince?"

At the sudden question, I halted for a second time, growing aggravated. "Have you ever _been_ outside this tower?"

She swept her head from side to side.

"Have you ever even seen a man?"

Again, no.

"Yes, I'm a prince."

I don't know why I said it, or why I hadn't left before then, but as soon as the words left my lips, Rapunzel's young eyes widened. She smiled and I took in a small gasp. Her smile was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. It reminded me of the sun sparkling across a world blanketed in sheets of ice crystals, shining, clear, and perfect. There was nothing but raw innocence in the way she stood lightly on her toes, her face full of excitement as she gazed at me.

"You're very handsome," she told me.

_All right_, the childish aura that surrounded her shattered and I pursed my lips. _This is getting a little out of hand_. I could understand the misconception, for with my short hair and tunic, I did have a plain-looking figure. But still, a prince?

I nodded. "Um, thank you, I think." _Handsome? I was _handsome_?_

"Mistress Victoria told me princes were the spawn of the devil," Rapunzel blushed. "You don't look evil. You only look…lost."

"Lost?" I raised my eyebrows.

She nodded vigorously. "Oh, yes. There's something that holds you, keeps you from being free; a conflict inside of you." Her blue eyes narrowed. "Who is…_Gale_?"

"I'm leaving, now" I said quickly, deeply disturbed by her words.

What kind of witchcraft was this? How was she seeing these things?

Rapunzel beamed. "You think I'm crazy."

I blinked. "A little bit."

"And you don't believe me," she added. "But do we ever really know what's keeping us until someone tells us? Although, sometimes it's less painful to be kept in the dark, don't you think?"

I opened, my mouth, wanting to say something, but not sure what. "Do you…have you ever wondered what's beyond these walls?"

"I have everything I could ever need here," she shrugged. "Why would I want more?"

Licking my lips, I exhaled deeply. There was so much more to the world than one round wall and a few trunks. Vast oceans, crisp trees and hundreds of people…_love_.

Sighing, I went to Rapunzel and led her to the window. "Will you help me down?"

With a single nod, the girl bent, gathered an armful of her gold-crimson hair, and tossed it through the open window. She didn't flinch as the braid pulled at her head and she sat down against the wall. It seemed to be the only thing that kept her from tumbling out the window after her hair.

As I clutched at the braid and began to lower myself out of the tower, I hesitated. "Rapunzel?"

She turned her head to look at me, her expression completely content.

I flashed her a quick grin. "You're singing is extraordinary."

"Maybe," the girl chimed. "But I suppose that depends on what song your heart is listening for."

Amused, touched, and still a bit puzzled, and I slipped away.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

"Gale!" I dropped from the stone wall, the coins held tightly in my fist.

My arms ached and my legs throbbed, but I ignored their screaming muscles and staggered to my friend, holding out the gold pieces. The way down from the window had not been as difficult as the climb, but it had been slower going. Gale's dark eyes were studying the edge of the cliff and the ocean beyond, but he bestowed me with a quickly glance as he took in my prize.

"Brilliant," he said, staring passed me.

I gripped his shoulder and pushed the coins into his hand. "Didn't you hear me, Woodems? _We have all the coins_!"

Tearing his gaze away from whatever was over my shoulder, he closed his fingers around the cool metal in his hand and looked me in the eyes. "Did you count them?"

"All twenty-seven. Gale, we can stop now, we can go home," I said eagerly.

Taking the pouch that he had kept strapped to his hip, Gale dumped the gold coins inside. "You mean I can go home. Alone."

"Oh." The sudden realization slapped the back of my head and I physically flinched. I wasn't going home to my father, I had known that all along, but as I looked at Gale…

The boy stared back at me with his soulful, blue eyes and dark blond hair, his mouth curved down in a restrained frown. He had been my support for so long, and it was time to say goodbye to him.

_But he really loves me_, a voice snapped. _What the hell are you doing, turning away from him? _I chewed the inside of my cheek, trying to take my mind off of the grave look that still lingered behind the forced smile on Gale's face.

"You should go back to Coredilia's town," he murmured. "If you told Ana Maria, I'm sure she'd love to take you in. I mean, she is your mother after all."

I shook my head, tearing my cloak from my shoulders in a moment of impulse. "No, she gave me up a long time again. I don't need her anymore. But Gale, even though we don't…_feel_…that same way about each other, I do need you. More than anyone." His eyebrows rose and I took his hand. "Don't go back. Come with me. Please, Gale."

Then I realized how much my plea sounded like Akeem's. His face drifted into my mind and I quickly pushed him away, somehow sure that Gale knew when I was thinking of the prince. But he wasn't looking at me anymore. I turned, following his gaze.

The ship that I had spotted drifting in the waves earlier was now beached below the cliff, the back half-visible beyond the rocky edge. _Thump. Tha-tha-thump. _Six brown stubs materialized at the cliff's ledge, pieces of crudely cut wood latching into the ground to secure them. I took a small step forward, my hand sliding up Gale's arm to hold his elbow.

"Gale…what are those?"

He took my hand, lacing his finger through mine, and squeezed hard. The wooden stubs shook and then a set of hands appeared, clinging to the cliff. Then another crawled its way over the sharp ridge, and another. Heads began to rise and a half a dozen men dressed in rags were suddenly swarming across the rocky ground, charging towards the garden. Many of them had scruffy, braided beards and curving swords, which they drew with grunts and yells.

"Pirate scouts," Gale breathed, sweeping out and arm and ushering me behind him. "Marley, _run_."

Griping his hand until my fingers were numb, I spun, bolting through the stone arc with my friend stumbling along behind me. We didn't get far before the men managed to cut us off, passing us and blocking our escape to a cluster of trees. Holding me behind him, Gale drew the short sword he had taken off of White. I slid my own weapon from my belt, holding it awkwardly to once side.

"What do we have here, lads?" one pirate sneered, his eyes burning into Gale. "A pr'tty little maiden and her sister."

I cringed and slipped out from the safe refuge of Gale's broad back, holding out my sword. These brutes obviously had seen what Rapunzel had missed, because, exposed, a few of their gazes found my chest. The men laughed, their weathered, tanned faces stretching into wicked grins. Only one didn't join in their riot; a slim but muscular boy who stood just behind the man ridiculing Gale, his brown eyes watching with a flicker of…disapproval?

An arm wrapped itself around my waist and a faint gasp escaped my lips as I was drawn backwards into the chest of one of the men. I screamed for Gale and he whirled to finding me struggling against the pirate, his greasy paw planted firmly on my hip. Gale made a move forward but was instantly intercepted by a trio of men who drew their swords and snarled. The tension crackled in the air as my captor pinned me closer to him, panic and anger boiling inside of me—a fit working its way to the surface.

I gripped the hilt of the sword, still wriggling against him. "Let. Me. _Go_!"

With those three words, the fragile, momentary truce shattered. The butt of my sword slammed into the man's gut and he staggered back with a grunt, his hands coming away as I spun to bring my blade over his head. More pirates rushed to their companion's aid, grabbing my arms and dragging me away, one swiping at me with a jagged-edged knife. Gale crashed into him, knocking the rusty blade away from me and locked into combat. Breaking free, I caught one of the attackers with my heel, sending us both reeling. I fell backwards into another pirate, who hooked his arms under mine and around my shoulders. I jerked away, my elbow cracking against his nose. Someone pressed against my back and I shot a quick glance over my shoulder, catching a glimpse of Gale's blond hair and swinging blade.

My sword rang against another, whose, I wasn't sure. There suddenly seemed to be an overwhelming number of strong fighting men, and I found myself trying to simply stay on my feet as I parried away blows or sidestepped a swing. A few razor sharp edges sliced across my skin, creating deep, bloody gashes. I bit my cheek against the pain, but it was slowly draining me. A curved blade thrust towards my abdomen and I leaped to one side, leaving Gale bare of any protection. The sword's momentum continued to carry it forward, plunging the sharp tip cleanly through Gale's left shoulder.

The world seemed to come to a jolting stop. Gale screamed, but all I could hear was the blood rushing to my ears as I stared at his arched back. Dark blood swelled through his shirt and he shuttered. I teetered on the balls of my feet, an incredibly delicate balance. Then, a cold hand wrenched my heart through my ribcage and from my chest, throwing everything back into chaotic motion.

I fell and Gale dropped onto his knees, the sword sliding from his body. Someone shrieked, and it wasn't until my throat grew hoarse that I realized it was me. The boy sucked in labored breathes, his mouth hanging open as he collapsed into himself. I hit the ground on my side, knocking the wind from my lungs. Head spinning, I clawed my way across the rocky ground, hand finding Gale's as he finally sunk onto his stomach, one arm stretched towards me with the other flung over his head. Dirt caked nails tore at me, gripping my arms and legs, trying to pull me away from the boy lying unconscious. I couldn't see him breathing.

_He's not breathing…he has to be breathing. _One of the men dragged me across the ground by my legs and I twisted wildly, gripping Gale's hand with an iron hold.

"Gale!"

My sweaty fingers began to slip from his palm, one by one, as I was hauled away from his still form. I was pulled farther and farther, my thumb brushed against the inside of Gale's wrist. A faint pulse pushed against my thumb. With one final jerk, my fingertips trailed away from Gale's and I was trapped in a mass of reeking, sweaty bodies. They grabbed at anything they could hold of me, but I made one last dive for Gale. I dropped on my hands and knees, my hand landing by his waist. Something soft and leather pressed against my palm and I snatched it up, its string snapping as it was torn away from his belt. I clutched it to my chest. A dark shape slammed against my temple, and everything dimmed.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter Twenty-Five**

I woke to find a large, tender lump adoring the soft skin just behind my right eye. My head spun as I rose into a sitting position, my stomach clenching, and I quickly lowered myself back onto the hard slab I rested on. The walls around me pitched wildly and the floor swayed, both made of long curves of dark wood. Standing between them and me, sharp lines of metal caged my makeshift bed in a confined rectangle barely large enough for me to take four steps. Whatever food was inside me rolled and I flung myself over the edge of my bed, waiting as the sickness spewed from my shivering body. I coughed, wiped my mouth on the back of my hand, and shifted into a more comfortable position.

_Cl-thun-ink_. Perplexed, I crawled to the edge of the wooden bench and peered at the floor. The small, leather pouch I had taken from Gale sat in a brown lump on the boards, a dark shape in the faint light. I reached down and scooped it to my heart. _Gale._

He was gone. I quickly scanned the barrels and crates that were scattered about the room, which I identified as the brig of a ship. The _pirates'_ ship. Gale was nowhere among the soft thuds of the waves hitting the sides, nor was he laying wounded somewhere inside a separate cell. I was alone, without Gale, except for perhaps my gold. I didn't know why I had taken it, but I opened the pouch and fingered through the coins inside. All of the pieces were there, but it didn't matter. The boy who loved me, the best friend I could ever have, was crumpled on the grassy cliff far away, mostly likely dead. Dead.

Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes and I curled into myself, wrapping my arms around my shoulder and lowering my head into the small gap between my knees. I squeezed my eyelids closed, forcing the salty droplet of water to slide down my cheeks and soak into my leggings. There was nothing left for me expect to return the coins to their owner, and now, all of that seemed like a waste.

The sound of hard-soled boots on wood roused me from my despaired huddle and I lifted my head sullenly. A pair of legs, followed by a torso and head, appeared from a rickety flight of steps. The boy who had been among my kidnappers stood on the bottom step, his hands on his hips with the sleeves of his puffy, white shirt rolled up to his elbow. Slithering down his forearm was the tattoo of a viper, its black fangs spreading out to cover the knuckles of his ring and index fingers. His shoulder length black hair was chopped and jagged, falling across his solemn eyes. I stared at him, my face red and swollen from sobbing. The boy's gaze slid up and down my body through his hair, a small smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. It was suggestive, but there was something arrogant and amused behind the small flash of teeth.

"The, er…" he cleared his throat, running a hand through his bangs. "Captain wants to see you."

I raised my eyebrows at him, glancing at him the way he studied me. "What? Do I not deserve a 'lass' at the end of that sentence?"

With a quick shrug, the boy held out a set of tarnished keys. "C'n I let you out, or are you thinking of trying something?"

I snorted, the closest I could come to a smile or laugh. There was no reason to smile or laugh anymore. The boy's eyes bore into me, but I remained silent. Sighing, I slowly lowered my stiff legs to hang over the side of the cot, gripping the edge and tilting my head away carelessly. Satisfied with my reaction, the boy strode forward, his boots clicking and clomping in a strangely comforting sound. He produced one of the keys from the loop and jammed it into the lock of my cell. Wiping the tears from my face, I pushed myself to my feet and rubbed at the back of my neck. A small, red bite burned at my touch and I grimaced inwardly. Of course. On a ship filled with pirates, why hadn't I anticipated the fleas?

The boy gripped one of the crumbling bars and tugged, assuming it would simply swing open. The lock held and he frowned, jiggling the key and then trying again with a firmer pull. It took three more attempts before the door finally swung open with a small explosion of metals filings. I wrinkled my nose and stepped into the doorway, my eyebrows raised.

"Now what happens?"

"Now," the boy said, pocketing the keys. "Now, you meet Captain Jones."

I took a moment to gather myself, keeping my eyes focused straight ahead and trying to calm my trembling legs. Then, I stepped forward. The boy moved aside to let me pass, a hand resting causally on the butt on his sword as he fell into step behind me. I paused at the stairs and straightened my shoulders. There was nothing these men could do to me now. Not a damned thing. Because real stories…they don't end the way we expect.

Holding my head high, I mounted the first step.

…Happily Ever After?


End file.
